Interesting Literature

A Summary and Analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ‘Self-Reliance’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Self-Reliance’ is an influential 1841 essay by the American writer and thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82). In this essay, Emerson argues that we should get to know our true selves rather than looking to other people to fashion our individual thoughts and ideas for us. Among other things, Emerson’s essay is a powerful rallying cry against the lure of conformity and groupthink.

Emerson prefaces his essay with several epigraphs, the first of which is a Latin phrase which translates as: ‘Do not seek yourself outside yourself.’ This axiom summarises the thrust of Emerson’s argument, which concerns the cultivation of one’s own opinions and thoughts, even if they are at odds with those of the people around us (including family members).

This explains the title of his essay: ‘Self-Reliance’ is about relying on one’s own sense of oneself, and having confidence in one’s ideas and opinions. In a famous quotation, Emerson asserts: ‘In every work of genius we recognise our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.’

But if we reject those thoughts when they come to us, we must suffer the pangs of envy of seeing the same thoughts we had (or began to have) in works of art produced by the greatest minds. This is a bit like the phenomenon known as ‘I wish I’d thought of that!’, only, Emerson argues, we did think of it, or something similar. But we never followed through on those thoughts because we weren’t interested in examining or developing our own ideas that we have all the time.

In ‘Self-Reliance’, then, Emerson wants us to cultivate our own minds rather than looking to others to dictate our minds for us. ‘Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind,’ he argues. For Emerson, our own minds are even more worthy of respect than actual religion.

Knowing our own minds is far more valuable and important than simply letting our minds be swayed or influenced by other people. ‘It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion’, Emerson argues, and ‘it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.’

In other words, most people are weak and think they know themselves, but can easily abandon all of their principles and beliefs and be swept up by the ideas of the mob. But the great man is the one who can hold to his own principles and ideas even when he is the one in the minority .

Emerson continues to explore this theme of conformity:

A man must consider what a blindman’s-buff is this game of conformity. If I know your sect, I anticipate your argument. I hear a preacher announce for his text and topic the expediency of one of the institutions of his church. Do I not know beforehand that not possibly can he say a new and spontaneous word? Do I not know that, with all this ostentation of examining the grounds of the institution, he will do no such thing? Do I not know that he is pledged to himself not to look but at one side, – the permitted side, not as a man, but as a parish minister?

He goes on:

This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars. Their every truth is not quite true. Their two is not the real two, their four not the real four; so that every word they say chagrins us, and we know not where to begin to set them right.

Emerson then argues that consistency for its own sake is a foolish idea. He declares, in a famous quotation, ‘A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.’

Instead, great men change and refine their opinions from one day to the next, as new evidence or new ideas come to light. Although this inconsistency may lead us to be misunderstood, Emerson thinks there are worse things to be. After all, great thinkers such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and even Jesus were all misunderstood by some people.

Emerson also argues that, just because we belong to the same social group as other people, this doesn’t mean we have to follow the same opinions. In a memorable image, he asserts that he likes ‘the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching’: that moment when everyone can have their own individual thoughts, before they are brought together by the priest and are told to believe the same thing.

Similarly, just because we share blood with our relatives, that doesn’t mean we have to believe what other family members believe. Rather than following their ‘customs’, ‘petulance’, or ‘folly’, we must be ourselves first and foremost.

The same is true of travel. We may say that ‘travel broadens the mind’, but for Emerson, if we do not have a sense of ourselves before he pack our bags and head off to new places, we will still be the same foolish person when we arrive at our destination:

Travelling is a fool’s paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go.

Emerson concludes ‘Self-Reliance’ by urging his readers, ‘Insist on yourself; never imitate.’ If you borrow ‘the adopted talent’ of someone else, you will only ever be in ‘half possession’ of it, whereas you will be able to wield your own ‘gift’ if you take the time and effort to cultivate and develop it.

Although some aspects of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s argument in ‘Self-Reliance’ may strike us as self-evident or mere common sense, he does take issue with several established views on the self in the course of his essay. For example, although it is often argued that travel broadens the mind, to Emerson our travels mean nothing if we have not prepared our own minds to respond appropriately to what we see.

And although many people might argue that consistency is important in one’s thoughts and opinions, Emerson argues the opposite, asserting that it is right and proper to change our opinions from one day to the next, if that is what our hearts and minds dictate.

Similarly, Emerson also implies, at one point in ‘Self-Reliance’, that listening to one’s own thoughts should take precedence over listening to the preacher in church.

It is not that he did not believe Christian teachings to be valuable, but that such preachments would have less impact on us if we do not take the effort to know our own minds first. We need to locate who we truly are inside ourselves first, before we can adequately respond to the world around us.

In these and several other respects, ‘Self-Reliance’ remains as relevant to our own age as it was to Emerson’s original readers in the 1840s. Indeed, perhaps it is even more so in the age of social media, in which young people take selfies of their travels but have little sense of what those places and landmarks really mean to them.

Similarly, Emerson’s argument against conformity may strike us as eerily pertinent to the era of social media, with its echo chambers and cultivation of a hive mind or herd mentality.

In the last analysis, ‘Self-Reliance’ comes down to trust in oneself as much as it does reliance on oneself. Emerson thinks we should trust the authority of our own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs over the beliefs of the herd.

Of course, one can counter such a statement by pointing out that Emerson is not pig-headedly defending the right of the individual to be loudly and volubly wrong. We should still seek out the opinions of others in order to sharpen and test our own. But it is important that we are first capable of having our own thoughts. Before we go out into the world we must know ourselves , and our own minds. The two-word axiom which was written at the site of the Delphic Oracle in ancient Greece had it right: ‘Know Thyself.’

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  • Emerson's Essays

Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • Literature Notes
  • About Self-Reliance
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography
  • Summary and Analysis of Nature
  • About Nature
  • Introduction
  • Summary and Analysis of The American Scholar
  • About The American Scholar
  • Paragraphs 1-7
  • Paragraphs 8-9
  • Paragraphs 10-20
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  • Paragraphs 31-45
  • Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul
  • About The Over-Soul
  • Paragraphs 1-3
  • Paragraphs 4-10
  • Paragraphs 11-15
  • Paragraphs 16-21
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  • Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance
  • Paragraphs 1-17
  • Paragraphs 18-32
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  • Summary and Analysis of The Transcendentalist
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  • Summary and Analysis of The Poet
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  • Critical Essays
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  • Emerson Unitarianism, and the God Within
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Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance About Self-Reliance

Published first in 1841 in Essays and then in the 1847 revised edition of Essays , "Self-Reliance" took shape over a long period of time. Throughout his life, Emerson kept detailed journals of his thoughts and actions, and he returned to them as a source for many of his essays. Such is the case with "Self-Reliance," which includes materials from journal entries dating as far back as 1832. In addition to his journals, Emerson drew on various lectures he delivered between 1836 and 1839.

The first edition of the essay bore three epigraphs: a Latin line, meaning "Do not seek outside yourself"; a six-line stanza from Beaumont and Fletcher's Honest Man's Fortune ; and a four-line stanza that Emerson himself wrote. Emerson dropped his stanza from the revised edition of the essay, but modern editors have since restored it. All three epigraphs stress the necessity of relying on oneself for knowledge and guidance.

The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity.

Because the essay does not have internally marked divisions delineating its three major sections, readers should number each paragraph in pencil as this discussion will make reference to them.

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Self Reliance

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Summary: “self-reliance”.

“Self-Reliance” is one of the most famous and representative works of the transcendentalist philosopher/author Ralph Waldo Emerson . Transcendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement of the early- and mid-19th century in the United States. Transcendentalist works stress the purity and goodness of individualism and community with nature, especially over the corruption and conformity of human society and institutions. This essay, published in 1841, is an exploration of self-reliance , or self-sufficiency, as a virtue. Emerson emphasizes the value of individual instincts, thought, and action, and determines these attributes to be universally positive. When a man embraces his own self-worth and lets his instincts and personal moral compass guide him through his life, he need not rely on constructed human institutions bound by conventions and laws.

Emerson states early in the essay, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string,” and the rest of the essay explicates that image. In every man, there is the potential for great genius and contribution, but that potential can only be met through individualism and embracing one’s own strengths and instincts. After making the case for each man’s capacity for genius and self-reliance, Emerson examines some contours of human society that complicate a man’s natural ability to think for himself and act according. He likens society to a mob and offers several recommendations for transitioning out of that paradigm. For one, he champions solitude over community, arguing that a man should “stay at home” and explore the “internal ocean” of possibilities within the mind instead of so readily work with and focus on others. A “great” man, he says, can channel the power and fruitfulness of solitude even when immersed in a crowd.

Comfort in solitude and independence translates into worthy authority in this model, and authority over the self diminishes the need for external authorities within manmade institutions ranging from government to organized religion. Like other transcendentalists, Emerson imagines that each individual has a personal connection to God, free from the involvement of a middleman, such as a minister. Truth and enlightenment start from within and there, too, is where God will speak to men.

Emerson imagines self-reliance to be the path toward genuine peace and happiness as well as genius and productivity. The biggest hindrances to mastery of self-reliance are imitation and conformity. Emerson presents both of these practices as shameful epidemics that waste potential and violate the goodness of nature as God intended. He rejects imitation even within the confines of education, instead suggesting that intellectual achievement comes only through independent, original thought. The great minds of the past, Emerson insists, understood and embodied this notion—their genius came from themselves and not from their teachers or peers. They were often misunderstood and did not fear disapproval or judgment from peers. Conformity requires that a man abandons individually-driven pursuits in favor of prescriptions, forgoing the opportunity to discover and foster his unique individualism. Emerson implores men to denounce the comfort of fitting in and blindly agreeing with norms and conventions.

The essay is, by the end, a call to action for men to restructure their relationships with themselves, their close relations, and society as a whole. With himself at the center, a man can meet his full potential and benefit both himself and the world. 

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  • Literary Period: Transcendentalism
  • Publication Date: 1841
  • Flesch-Kincaid Level: 9
  • Approx. Reading Time: 52 minutes
  • Self-Reliance

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance” embodies some of the most prominent themes of the transcendentalist movement in the 19th century. First published in 1841, “Self-Reliance” advocates for individualism and encourages readers to trust and follow their own instincts and intuition rather than blindly adhere to the will of others. The writing is elegant and poetic; its concepts timeless and words pure. Emerson draws supporting examples from a range of major historical figures, from Aristotle to Napoleon Bonaparte, to show how their success and genius came from originality and innovation, instead of conformity. With its most early conception coming shortly after the death of his wife, “Self-Reliance” manifests feelings of hope and optimism that could seldom be expected at a time of such despair. Emerson doesn’t withhold from letting his readers know the true value they have to offer the world, asserting that self-reliance serves as a beginning point for a more efficient, productive society.

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Self Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance Summary (and PDF): Become Your Own Person

In his famous 1841 essay Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson argues that society is in conspiracy against our individuality. To really live good lives, we must have the courage to resist conformity and trust the ‘immense intelligence’ of our own intuition and gut instinct.

Jack Maden

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H ow can we best navigate existence? Should we go along with the conventions of society? Should we respect the prevailing traditions and opinions of the day? Or should we relentlessly carve our own paths through life?

Throughout his work, the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) made his answers to such questions clear, spearheading the Transcendentalist movement of mid-19th century America.

One of the key hallmarks of the Transcendentalist movement, which notably included Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Henry David Thoreau (see our reading list of Thoreau’s best books here ), is its celebration of the supremacy — even divinity — of nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Divinity is not locked in a distant heaven, say transcendentalists; it is accessible right here in the company of the natural world.

We are thus at our best not when we conform to voices outside ourselves, but when we follow the voice within — the glimmering insight, the “immense intelligence” of our natural intuition and instincts.

Society on this view is seen as a corrupting force — it takes us away from our natural wisdom.

Emerson offers the beginnings of a path for how we might resist the pressures of society in his famous 1841 essay, Self-Reliance (access the full text of Self-Reliance as a free PDF here ), which features in my reading list of Emerson’s best books , and is a crucial contribution to Transcendentalist thought.

With eloquent, persuasive prose, Emerson fiercely defends the idea that the good life involves defying conformity, taking charge of our own existences, and living in accordance with the wisdom of the natural world.

Let’s take a look at Emerson’s essay in more detail, and see why his critique of conformity and celebration of individuality remains so acclaimed to this day.

Emerson: in works of genius, we find our own buried thoughts

E merson begins Self-Reliance by discussing a funny thing he’s observed about great works of art. Namely: that they often reflect our own buried thoughts and feelings back to us. He writes:

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.

Emerson reflects,

Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility [even] when the whole cry of voices is on the other side.

In other words, if we identify our own buried thoughts and concerns in works of genius — works we celebrate and implore others to read, watch, or listen to — then why, Emerson questions, do we often lack the conviction to express or act on such thoughts ourselves?

Perhaps, Emerson laments, we push down such thoughts because they go against convention in some way, or because we feel they might embarrass or expose us if spoken aloud.

In short: because we’re worried by the judgment of others…

Thus Emerson sets up his attack on convention and conformity, within which he thinks we all hide ourselves for fear of exposing our true natures.

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Society is in conspiracy against our individuality

W ith its silly status games and hierarchies, society saps our confidence and self-reliance, Emerson thinks: “It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.”

As we move through life, we must navigate pre-existing power structures and conventions, and stagger through storms of opinion on what we think, say, and do.

Confident, persuasive voices will try to convince us that this is the way; while others will shame us for daring to act differently.

But against this noise we must try to preserve our individuality, Emerson implores:

You will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

While outsourcing our opinions to the crowd may be tempting, and might feel like the safer option, in doing so we only falsify ourselves, Emerson warns:

Most men have bound their eyes with one or another handkerchief, and attached themselves to some one of these communities of opinion. This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars. Their every truth is not quite true.

Of course, society will punish us for trying to steer our own course. “For nonconformity”, Emerson observes, “the world whips you with its displeasure.”

We feel pressure to act according to the expectations of others, because “the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them.”

But exchanging our true selves for the comfort of the crowd is a cost we should not be willing to bear, Emerson thinks:

Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.

After all, what but mediocrity awaits us in convention and consistency?

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.

Really living means growing and adapting, Emerson says — even if by growing and adapting we contradict our former selves, or people’s expectations of us:

Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? …Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today.

“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think,” Emerson declares: “No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.”

Being self-reliant: the ineffable intelligence of our inner nature

W e might wonder why Emerson places so much stock on our ‘inner natures’ — what does he really mean by maintaining our individuality? How might we do so?

Well, Emerson thinks we are endowed with intuition from nature, an immense ‘gut’ intelligence that trumps the fleeting fashions of opinion in society.

“We lie in the lap of immense intelligence,” he writes,

which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity. When we discern justice, when we discern truth, we do nothing of ourselves, but allow a passage to its beams. If we ask whence this comes, if we seek to pry into the soul that causes, all philosophy is at fault. Its presence or its absence is all we can affirm.

We cannot necessarily articulate it, but most of us will be familiar with having a ‘feeling in our gut’ or ‘call of conscience’. It is this kind of intuition that Emerson thinks we should trust much more than public opinion.

We are part of nature, yet the opinions of society corrupt us away from nature:

Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say ‘I think,’ ‘I am,’ but quotes some saint or sage… These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are… [but] man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future…

We will not be happy or strong until, like the examples in nature all around us, we live in the present without second-guessing ourselves, “above time”, self-reliant .

Do not imitate: entrust yourself to be your own person

E merson argues our best acts will never come through imitation, for we will never surpass those on whom we model ourselves.

It is only through really, truly, authentically being ourselves that we can live lives of which we can be proud — lives that take us beyond dreary mediocrity. Emerson writes:

Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession.

For, indeed, he questions, “where is the master who could have taught Shakspeare?”

Every great person is unique , Emerson thinks. It is through embracing your uniqueness that you shall succeed:

Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart, and thou shalt reproduce the Foreworld again.

Make authenticity the foundation of your relationships

B ut what of others? If living only according to our own intuition for how we should live, does Emerson’s philosophy mean selfishness?

No, Emerson says, it means authenticity: seeking to bloom into the best versions of ourselves — not what society claims is best for us; seeking to be human beings of value — not creatures of conformity.

“Live no longer to the expectation of these deceived and deceiving people with whom we converse,” Emerson writes. “Say to them,

O father, O mother, O wife, O brother, O friend, I have lived with you after appearances hitherto. Henceforward I am the truth’s. Be it known unto you that henceforward I obey no law less than the eternal law... I shall endeavor to nourish my parents, to support my family, to be the chaste husband of one wife, — but these relations I must fill after a new and unprecedented way. I appeal from your customs. I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions…

We still strive to be the best we can be, and to respect and honor our loved ones, but through actions and behaviors that we command, not that are commanded for us.

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Indeed, to be the best people we can be, we must no longer bury ourselves under layers of convention; it would be better for all of us if we could be sincere.

We might not all agree with one another, but we can respect each other’s right to disagree in the name of authenticity:

If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men’s, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh today? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last.

Perhaps such defiance may make us worry about upsetting our loved ones. “Yes,” Emerson concedes,

but I cannot sell my liberty and my power, to save their sensibility. Besides, all persons have their moments of reason, when they look out into the region of absolute truth; then will they justify me, and do the same thing.

People may think that by rejecting convention we are defying all codes of conduct, but such people are misguided; we are now simply living in line with the immense intelligence of nature, not the fleeting opinions of society:

And truly it demands something godlike in him who has cast off the common motives of humanity, and has ventured to trust himself for a taskmaster. High be his heart, faithful his will, clear his sight, that he may in good earnest be doctrine, society, law, to himself, that a simple purpose may be to him as strong as iron necessity is to others!

Living according to your own authority

T hough we may begin our lives living according to the conventions of the day or the expectations of others, there comes a time where the scales fall from our eyes and we must become ourselves. As Emerson puts it:

There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself, for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.

So, Emerson commands: do not outsource your share of life to the opinions of others, nor to fortune or luck. Take charge of your own existence, and live according to your own authority right now:

A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you. Do not believe it. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.

Explore Emerson’s philosophy of self-reliance further

W hat do you make of Emerson’s analysis? Do you value self-reliance over conformity? Do you agree that our intuition is often wiser than public opinion? Or is there an extent to which the ‘call’ of conscience we hear internally is actually the voice of society inside us?

If you’d like to explore Emerson’s view further, you can read his Self-Reliance essay in full in this free PDF (if you have a spare 30-40 minutes, I highly recommend doing so — it’s a fantastic read. Emerson offers powerful critiques of different aspects of society — including the objects of education, travel, and the accumulation of wealth — and treats us to some beautiful natural imagery in his illustration of how we might live happier, more authentic lives.)

You might also be interested in these related reads which discuss the importance of self-reliance for living well:

  • The Porcupine’s Dilemma: Schopenhauer’s Wistful Parable on Human Connection
  • Übermensch Explained: the Meaning of Nietzsche’s ‘Superman’
  • Albert Camus on Coping with Life's Absurdity
  • Kierkegaard On Finding the Meaning of Life
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson: The Best 5 Books to Read
  • Henry David Thoreau: The Best 5 Books to Read

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Self-Reliance

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘Self-Reliance’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson celebrates individual freedom, trusting inner wisdom, and finding God within, rejecting societal expectations.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nationality: American

Some of his best-known works are "Nature" and "Self-Reliance."

Key Poem Information

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Central Message: Trust inner wisdom, reject external opinions.

Themes: Desire , Identity , Immortality , Journey , Spirituality

Speaker: Unknown

Emotions Evoked: Bravery , Confidence , Courage , Excitement , Freedom , Gratitude , Happiness , Joyfulness , Optimism

Poetic Form: Free Verse

Time Period: 19th Century

Emerson's 'Self-Reliance' champions individualism, rejecting societal norms for spiritual self-discovery and autonomy in expression.

William Delaney

Poem Analyzed by William Delaney

M.A. in Literature and B.A. in English

‘Self-Reliance’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a transcendentalist poem celebrating individualism and inner wisdom. It is worth clarifying here that this poem ‘Self-Reliance’ by Emerson, which explores individualism, is quite distinct from his widely-read 1841 “Self-Reliance’’ essay , which shares potent transcendentalist insights. This analysis is based entirely on the poem and not the essay. In the poem, Emerson rejects societal conformity, advocating for freedom from external opinions.

The speaker seeks a carefree existence, likening it to a bird’s light-heartedness. God is found within, emphasizing a personal, spiritual connection. Metaphors of a needle, a bird, and a wise Seer underscore the reliability of inner guidance. The poem extols self-reliance, portraying the speaker’s autonomy and the profound wisdom derived from trusting one’s intuition.

Before delving into 'Self-Reliance' by Ralph Waldo Emerson, consider these tips for a richer reading experience:

  • Transcendentalist Philosophy : Familiarize yourself with Emerson's transcendentalist philosophy, emphasizing individualism, intuition, and a direct connection with the divine.
  • Spiritual Exploration : The poem explores a personal connection with God within oneself, not necessarily in a traditional religious sense. Keep an open mind to the spiritual themes presented.
  • Metaphors and Symbols : Emerson employs metaphors like the needle and the bird. Pay attention to these symbols, as they carry significant meaning in conveying the poem's message.
  • Free Verse Style : Note that the poem is written in free verse , allowing for a natural and conversational tone . Embrace the lack of a rigid structure, as it aligns with Emerson's celebration of individual freedom.
  • Individual Autonomy : Central to the poem is the theme of self-reliance. Reflect on the idea of trusting one's inner wisdom and rejecting external influences, considering how this resonates with your own beliefs.

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Explore Self-Reliance

  • 2 Structure and Form
  • 4 Literary Devices
  • 5 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

‘Self-Reliance’ is a transcendentalist poem that encourages individuals to trust their intuition and inner selves rather than conform to societal expectations.

The poem reflects the central theme of individualism, advocating for independence of thought and action. The speaker expresses a desire to break free from the influence of others’ opinions and to live in harmony with God, finding a divine presence within their own heart.

The imagery of being “light-hearted as a bird” conveys the idea of freedom and a carefree spirit, contrasting with the burdensome “yoke of men’s opinions” that the speaker wishes to cast aside . The reference to God is not about traditional religious doctrine but rather a personal, internal connection with the divine. The speaker believes that God resides within their own heart, and they can hear His voice continually.

The analogy of the little needle always knowing the North and the bird remembering its note suggests that, just as these natural elements instinctively follow their paths, the wise Seer within the speaker never errs. This Seer is a symbol of intuition, an innate wisdom that guides the individual without external teaching. The speaker emphasizes that they don’t instruct this inner guide; instead, they follow its lead when acting rightly.

In essence, ‘Self-Reliance’ encourages individuals to trust themselves, listen to their inner wisdom, and live authentically, unburdened by the expectations and judgments of others. It celebrates the idea that true wisdom comes from within, and individuals should have the courage to follow their own path rather than conform to societal norms.

The Poem Analysis Take

William Delaney

Expert Insights by William Delaney

Here I will argue that the seemingly deliberate structure of ' Self-Reliance' imposes an unintended constraint that paradoxically challenges the poem's message of individual freedom. The structured quintain and sporadic rhyme might be seen as an ironic reflection of societal norms that subtly influence poetic expression. Based on this perspective , I encourage readers to question whether the form aligns with or subtly contradicts Emerson's professed ideals.

Structure and Form

‘Self-Reliance’ is organized into two stanzas , each consisting of five lines, adhering to a quintain structure. This structured format provides a sense of order, creating distinct sections for the expression of Emerson’s ideas. The division into two stanzas also allows for a nuanced exploration of the themes, with the first stanza setting the tone and the second stanza further developing and reinforcing the message.

The use of free verse is a crucial aspect of the poem’s form. The absence of a regular rhyme scheme or meter gives Emerson the freedom to express his ideas without the constraints of traditional poetic forms. This aligns with the transcendentalist philosophy he advocates, emphasizing individual freedom and nonconformity. The free-verse form allows for a more natural and spontaneous expression, enhancing the authenticity of the speaker’s voice.

The variation in rhyme schemes between the stanzas contributes to the poem’s dynamic nature. The ABACD and AABCD patterns, while not strictly consistent, add a subtle musicality to the verses . The shifting rhyme schemes mirror the theme of embracing change and individuality. The sporadic rhymes enhance the overall rhythmic quality without imposing a rigid structure, reinforcing the organic flow of Emerson’s ideas.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Self-Reliance” explores several interconnected themes, emphasizing individualism, nonconformity, and the importance of trusting one’s inner wisdom. Below are the key themes:

  • Individualism : Emerson celebrates the concept of individualism, urging readers to trust their own instincts and beliefs rather than conforming to societal expectations. The speaker rejects the “yoke of men’s opinions” and expresses a desire to be “light-hearted as a bird,” symbolizing the freedom and independence associated with individual thought and action.
  • Nonconformity : The theme of nonconformity is closely tied to individualism. Emerson encourages people to break free from the constraints of societal norms and expectations. The speaker rejects external influences, emphasizing the importance of listening to one’s inner voice and following an authentic path. Find this in line “I will be / Light-hearted as a bird, and live with God.”
  • Connection with the Divine : The poem explores the idea of a personal connection with the divine or God. However, this connection is not presented in a conventional religious sense but rather as an internal, intuitive understanding. The speaker finds God “in the bottom of my heart” and hears His voice within, suggesting a spiritual relationship that transcends organized religion.
  • Intuition and Inner Wisdom : Emerson emphasizes the importance of trusting one’s intuition and inner wisdom. The references to the little needle always knowing the North and the bird remembering its note illustrate the idea that, like these natural elements, the wise Seer within the speaker always guides them correctly. Example: “The little needle always knows the North, / The little bird remembereth his note, / And this wise Seer within me never errs.”
  • Self-Reliance and Independence : The overarching theme is self-reliance, where individuals are encouraged to rely on themselves for guidance and understanding. The speaker acknowledges that the inner wisdom does not come from external sources but is inherent. True wisdom, according to Emerson, comes from within, and individuals should trust their own judgment. Find this in “I never taught it what it teaches me; / I only follow, when I act aright.

These themes collectively convey Emerson’s transcendentalist philosophy, emphasizing the autonomy and inner strength of the individual.

Literary Devices

Ralph Waldo Emerson employs different poetic techniques and figurative language to convey his message in ‘Self-Reliance.’ Here are some key examples:

  • Metaphor : Emerson uses metaphorical language to convey the idea of finding God within oneself. The line “I find him in the bottom of my heart” employs the metaphor of God being located within the depths of the speaker’s heart, emphasizing a personal and intimate connection with the divine.
  • Symbolism : The poem uses symbols to represent concepts. The bird is a symbolic representation of freedom and light-heartedness, contrasting with the metaphorical “yoke of men’s opinions” that the speaker wishes to forego. The bird symbolizes the untethered spirit of individuality. Find this in “I will be / Light-hearted as a bird, and live with God.”
  • Personification : Emerson personifies the inner wisdom or intuition as a “wise Seer” within the speaker. The Seer is attributed with the ability to never err, emphasizing the reliability and sagacity of one’s internal guidance.
  • Imagery : The poem is rich in sensory imagery, allowing readers to visualize and feel the speaker’s experience. The image of the “little needle always knowing the North” and the “little bird remember[ing] his note” creates vivid pictures, reinforcing the idea of an innate and instinctive internal compass.
  • Repetition : Emerson employs repetition for emphasis. The repetition of the word “never” in “this wise Seer within me never errs” reinforces the idea of the unwavering reliability of the internal guide, underscoring the theme of self-trust.
  • Contrast : The poem utilizes contrast to highlight the speaker’s rejection of external influences and the embrace of inner wisdom. The contrast between the “yoke of men’s opinions” and being “light-hearted as a bird” emphasizes the shift from societal burdens to individual freedom.
  • Allusion : While not explicitly stated, there is an allusion to the moral compass with the mention of the needle always knowing the North. This allusion conveys the idea of an inherent ethical guidance within oneself.

These literary devices enhance the impact of the poem and contribute to the reader’s understanding of the speaker’s philosophy.

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

Henceforth, please God, forever I forego The yoke of men’s opinions. I will be Light-hearted as a bird, and live with God. I find him in the bottom of my heart, I hear continually his voice therein.

In the first stanza of ‘ Self-Reliance,’ Ralph Waldo Emerson conveys a powerful message centered around the rejection of external influence and the embrace of personal freedom and spiritual connection. The speaker begins by declaring a decisive break from the influence of “men’s opinions,” symbolized by the metaphorical “yoke.”

This yoke, traditionally a wooden crosspiece that binds oxen together, represents the burdensome weight of societal expectations and judgments. By proclaiming to “forego the yoke of men’s opinions,” the speaker expresses a commitment to liberate themselves from the constraints imposed by societal norms.

The imagery of being “light-hearted as a bird” further emphasizes the desire for freedom and the ability to navigate through life unburdened. The bird symbolizes a carefree and untethered existence, contrasting with the metaphorical yoke. The choice of being “light-hearted” suggests a deliberate decision to approach life with joy and ease, unencumbered by the weight of external expectations.

The profound shift in focus is then directed towards a spiritual dimension with the declaration, “and live with God.” Here, God is not presented as a distant, external force but as an intimate presence discovered within the speaker’s own being. The phrase “live with God” suggests a continuous, harmonious relationship, reinforcing the theme of an internal spiritual connection. This turn towards a personal relationship with the divine aligns with Emerson’s transcendentalist beliefs, emphasizing direct experience with the divine without reliance on established religious structures.

The stanza concludes with a vivid image of divine discovery: “I find him in the bottom of my heart, / I hear continually his voice therein.” The speaker locates God not in a distant realm but within the depths of their own being. The heart becomes a sacred space where this connection is forged. The continual hearing of God’s voice signifies an ongoing, intimate communion, suggesting that the divine is a constant presence guiding and communicating with the individual. This internal revelation underscores the poem’s theme of self-reliance, advocating for an individual’s capacity to access spiritual truths from within.

This first stanza establishes a thematic foundation for Emerson’s celebration of individualism, spiritual self-discovery, and the rejection of external influences in the subsequent stanzas.

The little needle always knows the North, The little bird remembereth his note, And this wise Seer within me never errs. I never taught it what it teaches me; I only follow, when I act aright.

In this final stanza, the speaker employs vivid metaphors and figurative language to reinforce the poem’s central message of trusting one’s intuition and inner wisdom. The stanza begins with a simile , comparing the speaker’s internal guidance to “The little needle always knows the North.” Here, the needle serves as a metaphor for an unerring sense of direction. The comparison suggests that, just as a needle unerringly points north, the speaker’s inner wisdom reliably guides them in the right direction.

The second line continues the theme of instinctual knowledge with the metaphorical image of “The little bird remembereth his note.” This bird, much like the needle, represents a natural and innate sense. The bird’s ability to remember its note implies a connection to its authentic self, emphasizing the importance of remembering and staying true to one’s own nature.

The third line introduces the concept of the “wise Seer within me” as a metaphor for the internal guide or intuition. The term “Seer” traditionally refers to one who perceives beyond the ordinary senses, often associated with prophetic insight. The use of “wise” further underscores the reliability and sagacity of this internal guide. By personifying this inner wisdom as a Seer, Emerson elevates it to a level of profound and inherent understanding.

The next two lines express the autonomy of this inner wisdom, stating, “I never taught it what it teaches me; / I only follow when I act aright.” The speaker emphasizes that this inner Seer requires no external instruction; it imparts knowledge independently. The act of “following” when the speaker “acts aright” suggests a harmonious partnership between the conscious actions of the individual and the intuitive guidance within. The emphasis on “aright” implies alignment with moral or authentic conduct.

In summary, the final stanza of “Self-Reliance” reiterates the theme of trusting one’s internal wisdom through powerful metaphors. The references to the needle, bird, and wise Seer emphasize the instinctual, innate nature of this guidance. The stanza reinforces the poem’s overarching message of self-reliance, asserting that true wisdom comes from within, and individuals need only trust and follow their internal guidance when acting in accordance with their authentic selves.

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Delaney, William. "Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/ralph-waldo-emerson/self-reliance/ . Accessed 21 August 2024.

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Self-Reliance

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  • The Literature Network - Self-Reliance

Self-Reliance , essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson , published in the first volume of his collected Essays (1841). Developed from his journals and from a series of lectures he gave in the winter of 1836–37, it exhorts the reader to consistently obey “the aboriginal self,” or inner law, regardless of institutional rules, popular opinion, tradition, or other social regulators. Emerson’s doctrine of self-sufficiency and self-reliance arose naturally from his view that the individual need only look inward for the spiritual guidance that was previously the province of the established churches.

           
       

First Series[1841]

Cast the bantling on the rocks,
Suckle him with the she-wolf's teat"
Wintered with the hawk and fox,
Power and speed be hands and feet.

I read the other day some verses written by an eminent painter which were original and not conventional. The soul always hears an admonition in such lines, let the subject be what it may. The sentiment they instill is of more value than any thought they may contain. To believe our own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, -- that is genius. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost,--and our first thought, is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the Last Judgment. Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what they thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side. Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another.

There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. Not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him, and another none. This sculpture in the memory is not without preëstablished harmony. The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray. We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents. It may be safely trusted as proportionate and of good issues, so it be faithfully imparted, but God will not have his work made manifest by cowards. A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but what he has said or done otherwise, shall give him no peace. It is a deliverance which does not deliver. In the attempt his genius deserts him; no muse befriends; no invention, no hope.

Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort, and advancing on Chaos and the Dark.

What pretty oracles nature yields us on this text, in the face and behaviour of children, babes, and even brutes! That divided and rebel mind, that distrust of a sentiment because our arithmetic has computed the strength and means opposed to our purpose, these have not. Their mind being whole, their eye is as yet unconquered, and when we look in their faces, we are disconcerted. Infancy conforms to nobody: all conform to it, so that one babe commonly makes four or five out of the adults who prattle and play to it. So God has armed youth and puberty and manhood no less with its own piquancy and charm, and made it enviable and gracious and its claims not to be put by, if it will stand by itself. Do not think the youth has no force, because he cannot speak to you and me. Hark! in the next room his voice is sufficiently clear and emphatic. It seems he knows how to speak to his contemporaries. Bashful or bold, then, he will know how to make us seniors very unnecessary.

The nonchalance of boys who are sure of a dinner, and would disdain as much as a lord to do or say aught to conciliate one, is the healthy attitude of human nature. A boy is in the parlour what the pit is in the playhouse; independent, irresponsible, looking out from his corner on such people and facts as pass by, he tries and sentences them on their merits, in the swift, summary way of boys, as good, bad, interesting, silly, eloquent, troublesome. He cumbers himself never about consequences, about interests: he gives an independent, genuine verdict. You must court him: he does not court you. But the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness. As soon as he has once acted or spoken with , he is a committed person, watched by the sympathy or the hatred of hundreds, whose affections must now enter into his account. There is no and wife and brother, when my genius calls me. I would , . I hope it is somewhat better than whim at last, but we cannot spend the day in explanation. Expect me not to show cause why I seek or why I exclude company. Then, again, do not tell me, as a good man did to-day, of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they poor? I tell thee, thou foolish philanthropist, that I grudge the dollar, the dime, the cent, I give to such men as do not belong to me and to whom I do not belong. There is a class of persons to whom by all spiritual affinity I am bought and sold; for them I will go to prison, if need be; but your miscellaneous popular charities; the education at college of fools; the building of meeting-houses to the vain end to which many now stand; alms to sots; and the thousandfold Relief Societies;--though I confess with shame I sometimes succumb and give the dollar, it is a wicked Dollar which by and by I shall have the manhood to withhold.

Virtues are, in the popular estimate, rather the exception than the rule. There is the man his virtues. Men do what is called a good action, as some piece of courage or charity, much as they would pay a fine in expiation of daily non-appearance on parade. Their works are done as an apology or extenuation of their living in the world,--as invalids and the insane pay a high board. Their virtues are penances. I do not wish to , but to live. My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady. I wish it to be sound and sweet, and not to need diet and bleeding. I ask primary evidence that you are a man, and refuse this appeal from the man to his actions. I know that for myself it makes no difference whether I do or forbear those actions which are reckoned excellent. I cannot consent to pay for a privilege intrinsic right. Few and mean as my gifts may be, I actually am, and do not need for my own assurance or the assurance of my fellows any secondary testimony.

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is, that it scatters your force. It loses your time and blurs the impression of your character. If you maintain a dead church, contribute to a dead Bible-society, vote with a great party either for the government or against it, spread your table like base housekeepers,--under all these screens I have difficulty to detect the precise man you are. And, of course, so much force is withdrawn from your proper life. But do your work, and I shall know you. , and you shall reinforce yourself. A man must consider what a is this game of conformity. If I know your sect, I anticipate your argument. I hear a preacher announce for his text and topic the of one of the institutions of his church. Do I not know beforehand that not possibly can he say a new and spontaneous word? Do I not know that, with all this ostentation of examining the grounds of the institution, he will do no such thing? Do I not know that he is pledged to himself not to look but at one side,--the permitted side, not as a man, but as a parish minister? He is a retained attorney, and these airs of the bench are the emptiest affectation. Well, most men have bound their eyes with one or another handkerchief, and attached themselves to some one of these communities of opinion. This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars. Their every truth is not quite true. Their two is not the real two, their four not the real four; so that every word they say chagrins us, and we know not where to begin to set them right. Meantime nature is not slow to equip us in the prison-uniform of the party to which we adhere. We come to wear one cut of face and figure, and acquire by degrees the gentlest asinine expression. There is a mortifying experience in particular, which does not fail to wreak itself also in the general history; I mean "the foolish face of praise," the forced smile which we put on in company where we do not feel at ease in answer to conversation which does not interest us. The muscles, not spontaneously moved, but moved by a low usurping wilfulness, grow tight about the outline of the face with the most disagreeable sensation.

For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure. And therefore a man must know how to estimate a sour face. The by-standers look askance on him in the public street or in the friend's parlour. If this aversation had its origin in contempt and resistance like his own, he might well go home with a sad countenance; but the sour faces of the multitude, like their sweet faces, have no deep cause, but are put on and off as the wind blows and a newspaper directs. Yet is the discontent of the multitude more formidable than that of the senate and the college. It is easy enough for a firm man who knows the world to brook the rage of the cultivated classes. Their rage is decorous and prudent, for they are timid as being very vulnerable themselves. But when to their feminine rage the indignation of the people is added, when the ignorant and the poor are aroused, when the unintelligent brute force that lies at the bottom of society is made to growl and mow, it needs the habit of magnanimity and religion to treat it godlike as a trifle of no concernment.

The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them.

But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Why drag about this corpse of your memory, lest you contradict somewhat you have stated in this or that public place? Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone, scarcely even in acts of pure memory, but to bring the past for judgment into the thousand-eyed present, and live ever in a new day. In your metaphysics you have denied personality to the Deity: yet when the devout motions of the soul come, yield to them heart and life, though they should clothe God with shape and color. Leave your theory, as Joseph his coat in the hand of the harlot, and flee.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.--'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.'--Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.

I suppose no man can violate his nature. All the sallies of his will are rounded in by the law of his being, as the inequalities of Andes and Himmaleh are insignificant in the curve of the sphere. Nor does it matter how you gauge and try him. A character is like an acrostic or Alexandrian stanza;--read it forward, backward, or across, it still spells the same thing. In this pleasing, contrite wood-life which God allows me, let me record day by day my honest thought without prospect or retrospect, and, I cannot doubt, it will be found symmetrical, though I mean it not, and see it not. My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum of insects. The swallow over my window should interweave that thread or straw he carries in his bill into my web also. We pass for what we are. Character teaches above our wills. Men imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions, and do not see that virtue or vice emit a breath every moment.

There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. For of one will, the actions will be harmonious, however unlike they seem. These varieties are lost sight of at a little distance, at a little height of thought. One tendency unites them all. The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred . See the line from a sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency. Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. Act singly, and what you have already done singly will justify you now. Greatness appeals to the future. If I can be firm enough to-day to do right, and scorn eyes, I must have done so much right before as to defend me now. Be it how it will, do right now. Always scorn appearances, and you always may. The force of character is cumulative. All the foregone days of virtue work their health into this. What makes the majesty of the heroes of the senate and the field, which so fills the imagination? The consciousness of a train of great days and victories behind. They shed an united light on the advancing actor. He is attended as by a visible escort of angels. That is it which throws thunder into , 's eye. Honor is venerable to us because it is no ephemeris. It is always ancient virtue. We worship it to-day because it is not of to-day. We love it and pay it homage, because it is not a trap for our love and homage, but is self-dependent, self-derived, and therefore of an old immaculate pedigree, even if shown in a young person.

I hope in these days we have heard the last of conformity and consistency. Let the words be and ridiculous henceforward. Instead of the gong for dinner, let us hear a whistle from the Spartan fife. Let us never bow and apologize more. A great man is coming to eat at my house. I do not wish to please him; I wish that he should wish to please me. I will stand here for humanity, and though I would make it kind, I would make it true. Let us affront and reprimand the smooth mediocrity and squalid contentment of the times, and hurl in the face of custom, and trade, and office, the fact which is the upshot of all history, that there is a great responsible Thinker and Actor working wherever a man works; that a true man belongs to no other time or place, but is the centre of things. Where he is, there is nature. He measures you, and all men, and all events. Ordinarily, every body in society reminds us of somewhat else, or of some other person. Character, reality, reminds you of nothing else; it takes place of the whole creation. The man must be so much, that he must make all circumstances indifferent. Every true man is a cause, a country, and an age; requires infinite spaces and numbers and time fully to accomplish his design;--and posterity seem to follow his steps as a train of clients. A man Caesar is born, and for ages after we have a Roman Empire. Christ is born, and millions of minds so grow and cleave to his genius, that he is confounded with virtue and the possible of man. An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man; as, the Reformation, of Luther; Quakerism, of Fox; Methodism, of Wesley; Abolition, of Clarkson. Scipio, Milton called "the height of Rome"; and all history resolves itself very easily into the biography of a few stout and earnest persons.

Let a man then know his worth, and keep things under his feet. Let him not peep or steal, or skulk up and down with the air of a charity-boy, a bastard, or an interloper, in the world which exists for him. But the man in the street, finding no worth in himself which corresponds to the force which built a tower or sculptured a marble god, feels poor when he looks on these. To him a palace, a statue, or a costly book have an alien and forbidding air, much like a gay equipage, and seem to say like that, 'Who are you, Sir?' Yet they all are his, suitors for his notice, petitioners to his faculties that they will come out and take possession. The picture waits for my verdict: it is not to command me, but I am to settle its claims to praise. That popular fable of the sot who was picked up dead drunk in the street, carried to the duke's house, washed and dressed and laid in the duke's bed, and, on his waking, treated with all obsequious ceremony like the duke, and assured that he had been insane, owes its popularity to the fact, that it symbolizes so well the state of man, who is in the world a sort of sot, but now and then wakes up, exercises his reason, and finds himself a true prince.

Our reading is mendicant and sycophantic. In history, our imagination plays us false. Kingdom and lordship, power and estate, are a gaudier vocabulary than private John and Edward in a small house and common day's work; but the things of life are the same to both; the sum total of both is the same. Why all this deference to Alfred, and Scanderbeg, and Gustavus? Suppose they were virtuous; did they wear out virtue? As great a stake depends on your private act to-day, as followed their public and renowned steps. When private men shall act with original views, the lustre will be transferred from the actions of kings to those of gentlemen.

The world has been instructed by its kings, who have so magnetized the eyes of nations. It has been taught by this colossal symbol the mutual reverence that is due from man to man. The joyful loyalty with which men have everywhere suffered the king, the noble, or the great proprietor to walk among them by a law of his own, make his own scale of men and things, and reverse theirs, pay for benefits not with money but with honor, and represent the law in his person, was the hieroglyphic by which they obscurely signified their consciousness of their own right and comeliness, the right of every man.

The magnetism which all original action exerts is explained when we inquire the reason of self-trust. Who is the Trustee? What is the aboriginal Self on which a universal reliance may be grounded? What is the nature and power of that science-baffling star, without parallax, without calculable elements, which shoots a ray of beauty even into trivial and impure actions, if the least mark of independence appear? The inquiry leads us to that source, at once the essence of genius, of virtue, and of life, which we call Spontaneity or Instinct. We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions. In that deep force, the last fact behind which analysis cannot go, all things find their common origin. For, the sense of being which in calm hours rises, we know not how, in the soul, is not diverse from things, from space, from light, from time, from man, but one with them, and proceeds obviously from the same source whence their life and being also proceed. We first share the life by which things exist, and afterwards see them as appearances in nature, and forget that we have shared their cause. Here is the fountain of action and of thought. Here are the lungs of that inspiration which giveth man wisdom, and which cannot be denied without impiety and atheism. We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity. When we discern justice, when we discern truth, we do nothing of ourselves, but allow a passage to its beams. If we ask whence this comes, if we seek to pry into the soul that causes, all philosophy is at fault. Its presence or its absence is all we can affirm. Every man discriminates between the voluntary acts of his mind, and his involuntary perceptions, and knows that to his involuntary perceptions a perfect faith is due. He may err in the expression of them, but he knows that these things are so, like day and night, not to be disputed. My wilful actions and acquisitions are but roving;--the idlest reverie, the faintest native emotion, command my curiosity and respect. Thoughtless people contradict as readily the statement of perceptions as of opinions, or rather much more readily; for, they do not distinguish between perception and notion. They fancy that I choose to see this or that thing. But perception is not whimsical, but fatal. If I see a trait, my children will see it after me, and in course of time, all mankind,--although it may chance that no one has seen it before me. For my perception of it is as much a fact as the sun.

The relations of the soul to the divine spirit are so pure, that it is profane to seek to interpose helps. It must be that when God speaketh he should communicate, not one thing, but all things; should fill the world with his voice; should scatter forth light, nature, time, souls, from the centre of the present thought; and new date and new create the whole. Whenever a mind is simple, and receives a divine wisdom, old things pass away,--means, teachers, texts, temples fall; it lives now, and absorbs past and future into the present hour. All things are made sacred by relation to it,--one as much as another. All things are dissolved to their centre by their cause, and, in the universal miracle, petty and particular miracles disappear. If, therefore, a man claims to know and speak of God, and carries you backward to the phraseology of some old mouldered nation in another country, in another world, believe him not. Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fulness and completion? Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being? Whence, then, this worship of the past? The centuries are conspirators against the sanity and authority of the soul. Time and space are but physiological colors which the eye makes, but the soul is light; where it is, is day; where it was, is night; and history is an impertinence and an injury, if it be any thing more than a cheerful apologue or parable of my being and becoming.

Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say 'I think,' 'I am,' but quotes some saint or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown flower there is no more; in the leafless root there is no less. Its nature is satisfied, and it satisfies nature, in all moments alike. But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time.

This should be plain enough. Yet see what strong intellects dare not yet hear God himself, unless he speak the phraseology of I know not what David, or Jeremiah, or Paul. We shall not always set so great a price on a few texts, on a few lives. We are like children who repeat by rote the sentences of grandames and tutors, and, as they grow older, of the men of talents and character they chance to see,--painfully recollecting the exact words they spoke; afterwards, when they come into the point of view which those had who uttered these sayings, they understand them, and are willing to let the words go; for, at any time, they can use words as good when occasion comes. If we live truly, we shall see truly. It is as easy for the strong man to be strong, as it is for the weak to be weak. When we have new perception, we shall gladly disburden the memory of its hoarded treasures as old rubbish. When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn.

And now at last the highest truth on this subject remains unsaid; probably cannot be said; for all that we say is the far-off remembering of the intuition. That thought, by what I can now nearest approach to say it, is this. When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name;--the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. It shall exclude example and experience. You take the way from man, not to man. All persons that ever existed are its forgotten ministers. Fear and hope are alike beneath it. There is somewhat low even in hope. In the hour of vision, there is nothing that can be called gratitude, nor properly joy. The soul raised over passion beholds identity and eternal causation, perceives the self-existence of Truth and Right, and calms itself with knowing that all things go well. Vast spaces of nature, the Atlantic Ocean, the South Sea,--long intervals of time, years, centuries,--are of no account. This which I think and feel underlay every former state of life and circumstances, as it does underlie my present, and what is called life, and what is called death.

Life only avails, not the having lived. Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in the shooting of the gulf, in the darting to an aim. This one fact the world hates, that the soul ; for that for ever degrades the past, turns all riches to poverty, all reputation to a shame, confounds the saint with the rogue, shoves Jesus and Judas equally aside. Why, then, do we prate of self-reliance? Inasmuch as the soul is present, there will be power not confident but agent. To talk of reliance is a poor external way of speaking. Speak rather of that which relies, because it works and is. Who has more obedience than I masters me, though he should not raise his finger. Round him I must revolve by the gravitation of spirits. We fancy it rhetoric, when we speak of eminent virtue. We do not yet see that virtue is Height, and that a man or a company of men, plastic and permeable to principles, by the law of nature must overpower and ride all cities, nations, kings, rich men, poets, who are not.

This is the ultimate fact which we so quickly reach on this, as on every topic, the resolution of all into the ever-blessed ONE. Self-existence is the attribute of the Supreme Cause, and it constitutes the measure of good by the degree in which it enters into all lower forms. All things real are so by so much virtue as they contain. Commerce, husbandry, hunting, whaling, war, eloquence, personal weight, are somewhat, and engage my respect as examples of its presence and impure action. I see the same law working in nature for conservation and growth. Power is in nature the essential measure of right. Nature suffers nothing to remain in her kingdoms which cannot help itself. The genesis and maturation of a planet, its poise and orbit, the bended tree recovering itself from the strong wind, the vital resources of every animal and vegetable, are demonstrations of the self-sufficing, and therefore self-relying soul.

Thus all concentrates: let us not rove; let us sit at home with the cause. Let us stun and astonish the intruding rabble of men and books and institutions, by a simple declaration of the divine fact. Bid the invaders take the shoes from off their feet, for God is here within. Let our simplicity judge them, and our docility to our own law demonstrate the poverty of nature and fortune beside our native riches.

But now we are a mob. Man does not stand in awe of man, nor is his genius admonished to stay at home, to put itself in communication with the internal ocean, but it goes abroad to beg a cup of water of the urns of other men. We must go alone. I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching. How far off, how cool, how chaste the persons look, begirt each one with a precinct or sanctuary! So let us always sit. Why should we assume the faults of our friend, or wife, or father, or child, because they sit around our hearth, or are said to have the same blood? All men have my blood, and I have all men's. Not for that will I adopt their petulance or folly, even to the extent of being ashamed of it. But your isolation must not be mechanical, but spiritual, that is, must be elevation. At times the whole world seems to be in conspiracy to importune you with emphatic trifles. Friend, client, child, sickness, fear, want, charity, all knock at once at thy closet door, and say,--'Come out unto us.' But keep thy state; come not into their confusion. The power men possess to annoy me, I give them by a weak curiosity. No man can come near me but through my act. "What we love that we have, but by desire we bereave ourselves of the love."

If we cannot at once rise to the sanctities of obedience and faith, let us at least resist our temptations; let us enter into the state of war, and wake , , or in the way. Consider whether you have satisfied your relations to father, mother, cousin, neighbour, town, cat, and dog; whether any of these can upbraid you. But I may also neglect this reflex standard, and absolve me to myself. I have my own stern claims and perfect circle. It denies the name of duty to many offices that are called duties. But if I can discharge its debts, it enables me to dispense with the popular code. If any one imagines that this law is lax, let him keep its commandment one day.

And truly it demands something godlike in him who has cast off the common motives of humanity, and has ventured to trust himself for a taskmaster. High be his heart, faithful his will, clear his sight, that he may in good earnest be doctrine, society, law, to himself, that a simple purpose may be to him as strong as iron necessity is to others!

If any man consider the present aspects of what is called by distinction society, he will see the need of these ethics. The sinew and heart of man seem to be drawn out, and we are become timorous, desponding whimperers. We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons. We want men and women who shall renovate life and our social state, but we see that most natures are insolvent, cannot satisfy their own wants, have an ambition out of all proportion to their practical force, and do lean and beg day and night continually. Our housekeeping is mendicant, our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born.

If our young men miscarry in their first enterprises, they lose all heart. If the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined. If the finest genius studies at one of our colleges, and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of Boston or New York, it seems to his friends and to himself that he is right in being disheartened, and in complaining the rest of his life. A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who , keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always, like a cat, falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days, and feels no shame in not `studying a profession,' for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. He has not one chance, but a hundred chances. Let a Stoic open the resources of man, and tell men they are not leaning willows, but can and must detach themselves; that with the exercise of self-trust, new powers shall appear; that a man is the word made flesh, born to shed healing to the nations, that he should be ashamed of our compassion, and that the moment he acts from himself, tossing the laws, the books, idolatries, and customs out of the window, we pity him no more, but thank and revere him,--and that teacher shall restore the life of man to splendor, and make his name dear to all history.

It is easy to see that a greater self-reliance must work a revolution in all the offices and relations of men; in their religion; in their education; in their pursuits; their modes of living; their association; in their property; in their speculative views.

1. In what prayers do men allow themselves! That which they call a holy office is not so much as brave and manly. Prayer looks abroad and asks for some foreign addition to come through some foreign virtue, and loses itself in endless mazes of natural and supernatural, and mediatorial and miraculous. Prayer that craves a particular commodity,--any thing less than all good,--is vicious. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul. It is the spirit of God pronouncing his works good. But prayer as a means to effect a private end is meanness and theft. It supposes dualism and not unity in nature and consciousness. As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action. The prayer of the farmer kneeling in his field to weed it, the prayer of the rower kneeling with the stroke of his oar, are true prayers heard throughout nature, though for cheap ends. Caratach, in Fletcher's Bonduca, when admonished to inquire the mind of the god Audate, replies, --

Another sort of false prayers are our regrets. Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. Regret calamities, if you can thereby help the sufferer; if not, attend your own work, and already the evil begins to be repaired. Our sympathy is just as base. We come to them who weep foolishly, and sit down and cry for company, instead of imparting to them truth and health in rough electric shocks, putting them once more in communication with their own reason. The secret of fortune is joy in our hands. Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. We solicitously and apologetically caress and celebrate him, because he held on his way and scorned our disapprobation. The gods love him because men hated him. "To the persevering mortal," said , 'Let not God speak to us, lest we die. Speak thou, speak any man with us, and we will obey.' Everywhere I am hindered of meeting God in my brother, because he has shut his own temple doors, and recites fables merely of his brother's, or his brother's brother's God. Every new mind is a new classification. If it prove a mind of uncommon activity and power, a Locke, a Lavoisier, a Hutton, a Bentham, a Fourier, it imposes its classification on other men, and lo! a new system. In proportion to the depth of the thought, and so to the number of the objects it touches and brings within reach of the pupil, is his complacency. But chiefly is this apparent in creeds and churches, which are also classifications of some powerful mind acting on the elemental thought of duty, and man's relation to the Highest. Such is Calvinism, Quakerism, Swedenborgism. The pupil takes the same delight in subordinating every thing to the new terminology, as a girl who has just learned botany in seeing a new earth and new seasons thereby. It will happen for a time, that the pupil will find his intellectual power has grown by the study of his master's mind. But in all unbalanced minds, the classification is idolized, passes for the end, and not for a speedily exhaustible means, so that the walls of the system blend to their eye in the remote horizon with the walls of the universe; the luminaries of heaven seem to them hung on the arch their master built. They cannot imagine how you aliens have any right to see,--how you can see; 'It must be somehow that you stole the light from us.' They do not yet perceive, that light, unsystematic, indomitable, will break into any cabin, even into theirs. Let them chirp awhile and call it their own. If they are honest and do well, presently their neat new pinfold will be too strait and low, will crack, will lean, will rot and vanish, and the immortal light, all young and joyful, million-orbed, million-colored, will beam over the universe as on the first morning.

2. It is for want of self-culture that the superstition of Travelling, whose idols are Italy, England, Egypt, retains its fascination for all educated Americans. They who made England, Italy, or Greece venerable in the imagination did so by sticking fast where they were, like an axis of the earth. In manly hours, we feel that duty is our place. The soul is no traveller; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house, or into foreign lands, he is at home still, and shall make men sensible by the expression of his countenance, that he goes the missionary of wisdom and virtue, and visits cities and men like a sovereign, and not like an interloper or a valet.

I have no churlish objection to the circumnavigation of the globe, for the purposes of art, of study, and benevolence, so that the man is first domesticated, or does not go abroad with the hope of finding somewhat greater than he knows. He who travels to be amused, or to get somewhat which he does not carry, travels away from himself, and grows old even in youth among old things. In Thebes, in Palmyra, his will and mind have become old and dilapidated as they. He carries ruins to ruins.

Travelling is a fool's paradise. discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go.

3. But the rage of travelling is a symptom of a deeper unsoundness affecting the whole intellectual action. The intellect is vagabond, and our system of education fosters restlessness. Our minds travel when our bodies are forced to stay at home. We imitate; and what is imitation but the travelling of the mind? Our houses are built with foreign taste; our shelves are garnished with foreign ornaments; our opinions, our tastes, our faculties, lean, and follow the Past and the Distant. The soul created the arts wherever they have flourished. It was in his own mind that the artist sought his model. It was an application of his own thought to the thing to be done and the conditions to be observed. And why need we copy the Doric or the Gothic model? Beauty, convenience, grandeur of thought, and quaint expression are as near to us as to any, and if the American artist will study with hope and love the precise thing to be done by him, considering the climate, the soil, the length of the day, the wants of the people, the habit and form of the government, he will create a house in which all these will find themselves fitted, and taste and sentiment will be satisfied also.

Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. No man yet knows what it is, nor can, till that person has exhibited it. Where is the master who could have taught Shakspeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? Every great man is a unique. The Scipionism of Scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow. Shakspeare will never be made by the study of Shakspeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. There is at this moment for you an utterance brave and grand as that of the colossal chisel of Phidias, or trowel of the Egyptians, or the pen of Moses, or Dante, but different from all these. Not possibly will the soul all rich, all eloquent, with thousand-cloven tongue, deign to repeat itself; but if you can hear what these patriarchs say, surely you can reply to them in the same pitch of voice; for the ear and the tongue are two organs of one nature. Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart, and thou shalt reproduce the Foreworld again.

4. As our Religion, our Education, our Art look abroad, so does our spirit of society. All men plume themselves on the improvement of society, and no man improves.

Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. It undergoes continual changes; it is barbarous, it is civilized, it is christianized, it is rich, it is scientific; but this change is not amelioration. For every thing that is given, something is taken. Society acquires new arts, and loses old instincts. What a contrast between the well-clad, reading, writing, thinking American, with a watch, a pencil, and a bill of exchange in his pocket, and the naked New Zealander, whose property is a club, a spear, a mat, and an undivided twentieth of a shed to sleep under! But compare the health of the two men, and you shall see that the white man has lost his aboriginal strength. If the traveller tell us truly, strike the savage with a broad axe, and in a day or two the flesh shall unite and heal as if you struck the blow into soft pitch, and the same blow shall send the white to his grave.

The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of muscle. He has a fine Geneva watch, but he fails of the skill to tell the hour by the sun. A Greenwich nautical almanac he has, and so being sure of the information when he wants it, the man in the street does not know a star in the sky. The solstice he does not observe; the equinox he knows as little; and the whole bright calendar of the year is without a dial in his mind. His note-books impair his memory; his libraries overload his wit; the insurance-office increases the number of accidents; and it may be a question whether machinery does not encumber; whether we have not lost by refinement some energy, by a Christianity entrenched in establishments and forms, some vigor of wild virtue. For every Stoic was a Stoic; but in Christendom where is the Christian?

There is no more deviation in the moral standard than in the standard of height or bulk. No greater men are now than ever were. A singular equality may be observed between the great men of the first and of the last ages; nor can all the science, art, religion, and philosophy of the nineteenth century avail to educate greater men than Plutarch's heroes, three or four and twenty centuries ago. Not in time is the race progressive. Phocion, Socrates, Anaxagoras, Diogenes, are great men, but they leave no class. He who is really of their class will not be called by their name, but will be his own man, and, in his turn, the founder of a sect. The arts and inventions of each period are only its costume, and do not invigorate men. The harm of the improved machinery may compensate its good. accomplished so much in their fishing-boats, as to astonish , whose equipment exhausted the resources of science and art. Galileo, with an opera-glass, discovered a more splendid series of celestial phenomena than any one since. Columbus found the New World in an undecked boat. It is curious to see the periodical disuse and perishing of means and machinery, which were introduced with loud laudation a few years or centuries before. The great genius returns to essential man. We reckoned the improvements of the art of war among the triumphs of science, and yet Napoleon conquered Europe by the bivouac, which consisted of falling back on naked valor, and disencumbering it of all aids. The Emperor held it impossible to make a perfect army, says , "without abolishing our arms, magazines, commissaries, and carriages, until, in imitation of the Roman custom, the soldier should receive his supply of corn, grind it in his hand-mill, and bake his bread himself."

Society is a wave. The wave moves onward, but the water of which it is composed does not. The same particle does not rise from the valley to the ridge. Its unity is only phenomenal. The persons who make up a nation to-day, next year die, and their experience with them.

And so the reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which protect it, is the want of self-reliance. Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long, that they have come to esteem the religious, learned, and civil institutions as guards of property, and they deprecate assaults on these, because they feel them to be assaults on property. They measure their esteem of each other by what each has, and not by what each is. But a cultivated man becomes ashamed of his property, out of new respect for his nature. Especially he hates what he has, if he see that it is accidental, -- came to him by inheritance, or gift, or crime; then he feels that it is not having; it does not belong to him, has no root in him, and merely lies there, because no revolution or no robber takes it away. But that which a man is does always by necessity acquire, and what the man acquires is living property, which does not wait the beck of rulers, or mobs, or revolutions, or fire, or storm, or bankruptcies, but perpetually renews itself wherever the man breathes. "Thy lot or portion of life," said the Caliph Ali, "is seeking after thee; therefore be at rest from seeking after it." Our dependence on these foreign goods leads us to our slavish respect for numbers. The political parties meet in numerous conventions; the greater the concourse, and with each new uproar of announcement, The delegation from Essex! The Democrats from New Hampshire! The Whigs of Maine! the young patriot feels himself stronger than before by a new thousand of eyes and arms. In like manner the reformers summon conventions, and vote and resolve in multitude. Not so, O friends! will the God deign to enter and inhabit you, but by a method precisely the reverse. It is only as a man puts off all foreign support, and stands alone, that I see him to be strong and to prevail. He is weaker by every recruit to his banner. Is not a man better than a town? Ask nothing of men, and in the endless mutation, thou only firm column must presently appear the upholder of all that surrounds thee. He who knows that power is inborn, that he is weak because he has looked for good out of him and elsewhere, and so perceiving, throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in the erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles; just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head.

So use all that is called Fortune. Most men gamble with her, and gain all, and lose all, as her wheel rolls. But do thou leave as unlawful these winnings, and deal with Cause and Effect, the chancellors of God. In the Will work and acquire, and thou hast chained the wheel of Chance, and shalt sit hereafter out of fear from her rotations. A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you. Do not believe it. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.

30 (March 1900): 628-33. , no. 47 (II Quarter 1967): 81-83. no. 47 (II Quarter 1967): 48-50. Also in . New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1971. pp. 129-48. , pp. 46-64. New York: Seabury Press, 1976. , pp. xxiii-lxxiv. New York: Columbia UP, 1980. , 18 (1983): 98-107. , 55 (Dec. 1983): 507-524. . Baton Rouge: LSU P, 1984. , Thomas C. Heller ed., pp. 278-312, 350-351. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1986. . "The revisions of self-reliance." Chapter 4. , 29 (Winter 1990): 555-570. , 25 (August 1991): 189-211. , 84 (Oct 1991): 423-446. , 15 (Oct 1991): 286-294. , 48:4 (1994 Mar), 440-79. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage P, 1995. , pp. 3-36. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP, 1995. , 53:2 (1995 Winter), 81-82. 3 (1995): 89-103. , 55:1 (1996 Fall), 19-22. , 55:2 (1997 Winter), 79-80. 21 (1996): 17-28. , pp. 76-85, 109-112. . Cambridge: Belknap, 2003.

           
           
       

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Self-Reliance

Ralph waldo emerson.

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Self Reliance and Other Essays

By ralph emerson, self reliance and other essays summary and analysis of experience.

“Experience” was first published in 1844 in Essays: Second Series .

Emerson opens his essay with a poem about the “lords of life,” those forces which affect our experience of life. Within this poem lies the problem Emerson seeks to address. We walk in confusion among these forces, including God (the “inventor of the game”), given the difficulty of gaining perspective on our life beyond our material existence and the everyday details that preoccupy us. Emerson hopes to shed light on how one might do so though, as nature comforts man by saying the lords will “wear another face” tomorrow, and man will rise above them.

Unable to seriously examine the value of our everyday actions and efforts in the long run, “the pith of each man's genius contracts itself to a very few hours.” Hence, Emerson claims, the scarcity of original ideas and tales in the history of literature, and of spontaneous actions and opinions in society except for “custom and gross sense.” In our darker moods, like grief, we hope to find the sharp edges of reality and truth. However, Emerson argues such moods only teach us how shallow they are. Grief could not bring back his son, Waldo, who died in 1842. “An innavigable sea washes with silent waves between us and the things we aim at and converse with.” We are left neither better nor worse, untouched, even if we lost what we once thought of as a part of ourselves.

To compound the matter, “life is a train of moods like a string of beads.” Each mood offers a different lens upon the world, showing only what lies in its focus. “It depends on the mood of the man, whether he shall see the sunset or the fine poem.” Of course, neither mood, nor fortune, nor genius would matter without the proper temperament, “the iron wire on which the beads are strung.” Our temperament shuts us in a prison from which we cannot escape, even by the flames of religion or the moral sentiment. (However, Emerson is keen to note that the limitations of temperament are not physically determined, as suggested by “so-called sciences” like phrenology, but spiritually.)

Elaborating on his analogy of the string of beads, Emerson argues the secret of the illusoriness of life derives from our need for variety and change, or “a succession of moods or objects.” We delight in a book or work of art, before moving on to the next, and do not ever return to the first with the same enthusiasm as we once had. In this way, we do not expand beyond ourselves to grasp new ideas or develop new talents.

Yet such consideration and criticism of our experience of life, Emerson writes, does not help us live a good life. “To fill the hour, — that is happiness; to fill the hour, and leave no crevice for a repentance or an approval. We live amid surfaces, and the true art of life is to skate well on them.” We should live in the day, in the moment. We should accept our circumstances and companions, and make the best of what life offers us. If we expect everything of the universe, we will be disappointed. Better instead to expect nothing, and thus be thankful for anything we receive. Finally, Emerson advises to live in moderation between the poles of power (life force) and form. All is dangerous in excess.

Life would be easier if it only consisted of routine and known causes and effects. However, thankfully, life is full of surprises that shake our limited perception of reality, moments when God isolates us in the present and calls for spontaneity. We thrive in such moments. Indeed, genius always contains such spontaneity, the exertion of power incidentally, rather than directly. The same goes for the moral sentiment. Our power, our life force, derives from the Eternal, and so the results of life, our successes and failures, are “uncalculated and uncalculable.”

While Emerson has thus far described life as a “flux of moods” and spontaneity, he adds our consciousness’ capacity to connect with the divine First Cause remains constant and helps us to evaluate our sensations and states of mind. The key question raised is not what one does, but from what source one’s motivation derives from – the divine or the material? Our life is filled with prospective directions with which to use our “vast-flowing vigor,” but the spirit flows through us when we are receptive to the “universal impulse to believe.”

Our awareness of ourselves since the Fall of Man has robbed us of our ability to live in what we see – now, we project ourselves onto objects, including nature, art, other people, religions, and even God. “Every evil and every good thing is a shadow which we cast.” We perceive the world in ways that validate our importance and our divine connection. We believe in ourselves, but not in others. We permit our own sins, but not those of others. For example, Emerson points to crimes performed out of love (e.g., murder, stealing) – the perpetrator believes it right and fair, but others find it destructive. We perceive the world in relative, rather than absolute, terms. Our soul only attains its “due sphericity” (completeness) when we learn from the specialized knowledge imparted by the perspectives of great minds.

To navigate the storm of confusion created by the lords of life – “illusion, temperament, succession, surface, surprise, reality, subjectiveness” – Emerson advocates “self-trust,” or rather, self-reliance. We should focus on the cultivation of our own thoughts (rather than those of society) and our relationship with God. While such a virtue may not offer completeness, its effects are cumulative, and in time and with patience, will allow “the transformation of genius into practical power.”

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Self Reliance and Other Essays Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Self Reliance and Other Essays is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

In Emerson's "Self-Reliance," how does he explain the changes in society, good and bad?

In the final section, Emerson addresses the “spirit of society.” According to Emerson, “society never advances.” Civilization has not led to the improvement of society because with the acquisition of new arts and technologies comes the loss of old...

Leaves of Grass

Whitman's "songs" focus on democracy and freedom, an unwavering belief in patriotism, and the promise of American freedom.

What does Emerson mean by self-reliance?

Emerson opens his essay with the assertion, "To believe in your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, - that is genius." His statement captures the essence of what he means by "self-reliance,"...

Study Guide for Self Reliance and Other Essays

Self Reliance and Other Essays study guide contains a biography of Ralph Emerson, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Essays for Self Reliance and Other Essays

Self Reliance and Other Essays essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Self Reliance and Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

  • Ideal Individualism and the Benefits of Conformity
  • Trancendentalism and Its Influence Upon the Creation of an American Identity
  • What Hangs in the Balance
  • Emersonian Implosion: The Self-Reliant Man in Moby Dick and Keats' Poetry
  • Huckleberry Finn: Self-Reliance or Self-Contempt ?

Lesson Plan for Self Reliance and Other Essays

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E-Text of Self Reliance and Other Essays

Self Reliance and Other Essays E-Text contains the full text of Self Reliance and Other Essays

  • First Series - History
  • First Series - Self Reliance
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Wikipedia Entries for Self Reliance and Other Essays

  • Introduction

summary of the essay self reliance

Robert Evans Wilson Jr.

Self-Reliance Sets the Stage for Creativity and Self-Care

A personal perspective: being forced to rely on yourself can carry lasting benefits..

Updated August 14, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

  • Self-reliance is the foundation for creative and critical thinking.
  • Self-reliance is often born out of necessity.
  • Self-reliance is about self-care and self-trust.

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I believe I developed my self-reliance naturally as a survival mechanism because my parents were neglectful and abusive. Mother was always busy pursuing her own goals and needs while Dad was busy trying to keep her happy. I felt like I was intruding on them to have needs at all. I picked up early on not to expect too much from them and that I should handle my own problems to the extent that I was able.

I learned to keep a low profile when Mother was in a bad mood because she was likely to punish me for merely getting in her way. I’d play quietly in my room or go outside when the weather permitted. When she was in a good mood, it was OK to be seen, but frequently I couldn’t tell the difference, so I played it safe and stayed out of her way. The silver lining to being neglected was developing self-reliance.

Many Skills Are Dependent on Self-Reliance

Self-reliance is the ability to take care of yourself without needing help from others. It is being able to make decisions for yourself. Critical thinking , creative thinking , and problem-solving are skills that emerge from a sense of self-reliance.

As I’ve written before, I was bullied by boys older than me both at school and in my neighborhood. After school, if none of my friends were around, I played in my backyard rather than risk running into the older kids on the street. This occurred often enough that I learned to entertain myself. I remember creating elaborate stories for my toy soldiers and cars while I played in my sandbox or tree house. I was practicing self-care, which is also a trait of self-reliance.

My self-reliance grew rapidly when I started wanting money. If I wanted a particular toy like my friends had and I asked Dad for the money (if I asked Mother, she’d tell me to ask Dad), he might say wait until Christmas and your birthday (which came close together on the calendar. (I frequently heard the words, “This is your Christmas and birthday present.”) If I wanted it immediately, he’d suggest I earn the money.

Too Young to Understand

Dad would make suggestions on how I could earn money, but often his suggestions were too difficult for me to engage in at the age I was asking.

For example, when I was nine years old, my father said I should start a lawn mowing business. However, he told me I couldn’t use his lawn mower; I would have to buy my own. He said he would loan me the money for a lawn mower, and I would have to pay that back before I could spend any of my earnings on the thing that I wanted. Buying a lawn mower, finding customers, mowing their grass, and repaying the loan were all too big in scope for me to fathom. Nevertheless, he planted the seed of independence which germinated into all the small businesses I have started over the years.

Sometimes, Dad would offer to split the cost with me, but it was still up to me to earn my half. If it was a small amount of money, he would provide me the opportunity to earn it by washing his car or shining his shoes. These were jobs I could handle.

However, Dad never paid me to mow our lawn or rake leaves. He said those were chores I was obligated to do as part of the family.

My Entrepreneurial Spirit Was Born From Self-Reliance

My financial self-reliance took off when I learned I could make money by collecting returnable soda pop bottles for their deposit. It became my primary source of income as a child, and I would spend some time every day after school walking alongside a highway near my house to find them. I was thrilled when the deposit was increased from 2 cents to 3 cents per bottle—it felt like getting a raise.

When I was 13 years old, Dad would occasionally pay me $1 an hour to pick up trash on his construction sites and burn it in a barrel. When I turned 15, I was old enough to get a real job in a fast-food restaurant (it paid $1.15 an hour which was 72 percent of minimum wage). Once I started earning a regular wage, I started buying many of the things I’d long wanted. I also started paying for stuff my parents used to provide such as clothing.

During this time I noticed that my closer friendships were with boys whose parents were not handing them whatever they wanted. Like me, they had to have a job to get the things they desired.

Suddenly, my Dad started offering me money without my asking. If I was going to the movies with my friends, he would offer to pay for my ticket and refreshments, but I would always decline. It angered me that he was offering only after I didn’t need it.

Cross-section through a cluster of maize leaves

Self-Reliance Expands From Necessity

Over the years, I continued to build my self-reliance. At age 17, I bought my own car, and because the maintenance was so expensive, I learned how to work on it myself. In the mid-1970s my father lost his business in the recession and couldn’t afford to send me to college, so I paid my own tuition and attended a less expensive school than I originally wanted. At age 19, I had my own apartment and was fully independent and paying for every single need myself.

Self-reliance is personally empowering. It frees you to make the decisions that are best for you. It puts you on an equal footing with other people. They will not have power over you unless you give it to them.

My self-reliance continued to grow after college. When I couldn’t land a job writing for an advertising agency, I used creative thinking and opened my own ad agency. When a doctor told me there was no cure but surgery for a skin growth on my eyelid, I used critical thinking to find an alternative.

My self-reliance led me to a wide variety of experiences and learning opportunities. These are useful for creativity, more specifically for me as an author because they’ve given me a large data set of information to draw on when I want to write an article or story.

Self-Reliance Enables You to Trust Your Abilities

Self-reliance lays the foundation for finding your purpose in life because it fuels self-efficacy (the belief in your own strengths and skills), which in turn enables self- motivation (the ability to achieve your goals). In brief, self-reliance empowers you to trust yourself to make the right decisions for your life.

What is Self-Reliance and How to Develop It? https://positivepsychology.com/self-reliance/

" Self-Reliance " by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

An Analytical Study of Self-Reliance https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00223980.1938.9917555

Robert Evans Wilson Jr.

Robert Wilson is a writer and humorist based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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COMMENTS

  1. Self-Reliance

    The essay "Self-Reliance," written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is, by far, his most famous piece of work. Emerson, a Transcendentalist, believed focusing on the purity and goodness of individualism and community with nature was vital for a strong society. Transcendentalists despise the corruption and conformity of human society and institutions.

  2. A Summary and Analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson's 'Self-Reliance'

    By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) 'Self-Reliance' is an influential 1841 essay by the American writer and thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82). In this essay, Emerson argues that we should get to know our true selves rather than looking to other people to fashion our individual thoughts and ideas for us. Among other things, Emerson's…

  3. Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson Plot Summary

    Emerson opens his essay with three epigraphs that preview the theme of self-reliance in the essay. He then begins the essay by reflecting on how often an individual has some great insight, only to dismiss it because it came from their own imagination. According to Emerson, we should prize these flashes of individual insight even more than those of famous writers and philosophers; it is the ...

  4. Self-Reliance Summary

    Self-Reliance Summary. "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson is an 1841 essay about the importance of pursuing one's own thoughts and intuitions, rather than adhering to public norms. Emerson ...

  5. About Self-Reliance

    Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance About Self-Reliance. Published first in 1841 in Essays and then in the 1847 revised edition of Essays, "Self-Reliance" took shape over a long period of time. Throughout his life, Emerson kept detailed journals of his thoughts and actions, and he returned to them as a source for many of his essays.

  6. Self Reliance Summary and Study Guide

    Summary: "Self-Reliance" "Self-Reliance" is one of the most famous and representative works of the transcendentalist philosopher/author Ralph Waldo Emerson. ... This essay, published in 1841, is an exploration of self-reliance, or self-sufficiency, as a virtue. Emerson emphasizes the value of individual instincts, thought, and action ...

  7. Self-Reliance Full Text and Analysis

    Self-Reliance. Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" embodies some of the most prominent themes of the transcendentalist movement in the 19th century. First published in 1841, "Self-Reliance" advocates for individualism and encourages readers to trust and follow their own instincts and intuition rather than blindly adhere to the ...

  8. Self-Reliance

    "Self-Reliance" is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of his recurrent themes: the need for each person to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts and ideas. It is the source of one of his most famous quotations:

  9. Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance Summary (and PDF): Become Your Own

    In his famous 1841 essay Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson argues that society is in conspiracy against our individuality. To really live good lives, we must have the courage to resist conformity and trust the 'immense intelligence' of our own intuition and gut instinct.

  10. Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson (Poem + Analysis)

    Summary 'Self-Reliance' is a transcendentalist poem that encourages individuals to trust their intuition and inner selves rather than conform to societal expectations. The poem reflects the central theme of individualism, advocating for independence of thought and action. The speaker expresses a desire to break free from the influence of others' opinions and to live in harmony with God ...

  11. Self-Reliance Study Guide

    The best study guide to Self-Reliance on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. ... A quick-reference summary: Self-Reliance on a single page. Self-Reliance: Detailed Summary & Analysis ... and he published several essay collections that established him as an important American ...

  12. Self-Reliance by Ralph Emerson

    Published in 1841, his essay 'Self-Reliance' introduced the core ideas of transcendentalism to the American public. In many ways, 'Self-Reliance' was a call to arms, inviting Americans to use ...

  13. Self-Reliance Analysis

    Self-Reliance Analysis. L ike many of Emerson's essays, "Self-Reliance" emerged from the copious journals he kept during his writing life.; Emerson makes ample use of allusion, drawing on examples ...

  14. PDF Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance

    The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity. Because the essay does ...

  15. PDF Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance (1840)

    Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance (1840) Ralph Waldo Emerson (1801-1882) was the animating genius behind American Transcendentalism. He derived his outlook on life from a variety of sources—classical philosophy, German idealism, English romanticism, Oriental mysticism, and New England Puritanism—but he also learned much from his personal ...

  16. Self-Reliance

    Table of Contents Self-Reliance, essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published in the first volume of his collected Essays (1841). Developed from his journals and from a series of lectures he gave in the winter of 1836-37, it exhorts the reader to consistently obey "the aboriginal self," or inner law, regardless of institutional rules, popular opinion, tradition, or other social regulators.

  17. EMERSON

    Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.

  18. Self Reliance and Other Essays

    Self-Reliance was first published in 1841 in his collection, Essays: First Series.However, scholars argue the underlying philosophy of his essay emerged in a sermon given in September 1830 - a month after his first marriage to Ellen (who died the following year of tuberculosis) - and in lectures on the philosophy of history given at Boston's Masonic Temple from 1836 to 1837.

  19. PDF Ralph Waldo Emerson SELF-RELIANCE

    conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs. 7 Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.

  20. Self-Reliance Paragraphs 1-2 Summary & Analysis

    Epigraph one encourages self-reliance, the central trait of the new morality he espouses in the essay. Epigraph two celebrates individuality rather than fate as the main influence on a person's life. Epigraph three encourages the reader to raise their children in nature, an exhortation that reflects the transcendentalist belief that having a ...

  21. Self Reliance and Other Essays Experience Summary and Analysis

    Self Reliance and Other Essays Summary and Analysis of Experience. "Experience" was first published in 1844 in Essays: Second Series. Emerson opens his essay with a poem about the "lords of life," those forces which affect our experience of life. Within this poem lies the problem Emerson seeks to address.

  22. PDF Self-Reliance

    Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and. creators, but names and customs. Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms. must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.

  23. Self-Reliance Sets the Stage for Creativity and Self-Care

    Self-reliance lays the foundation for finding your purpose in life because it fuels self-efficacy (the belief in your own strengths and skills), which in turn enables self-motivation (the ability ...