Emerson and His Impact on Today's Society

910 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Critique on emersons nature

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emerson is a firm believer of maintaining self-reliance and values rather than following the crowd. He also explains that in order to be truly successful in life, a person must make decisions and trust in his or her judgment. In today’s society, teenagers are more likely to not be self-reliant because the teens feel they will be judged for having different beliefs. People today need to realize that they should not conform to be like the rest of the world, they must not depend on the judgment and criticism of others, and people must refuse to travel somewhere in order to forget their personal problems. Through Emerson’s piece, readers are able to reflect on how people in the world today must try to be independent of others and uphold their personal opinions and philosophy. Citizens of today’s society have to comprehend that by conforming to the pressures of others and imitating everyone else, they will get nowhere in life. First of all, a teenage boy attends his first big high school party at a friend’s house one weekend and he is pressured into drinking beer and smoking marijuana so he will seem cool in front of the popular jocks and cheerleaders. Since many teens are so terrified of ridicule and downright embarrassment in front of fellow students, they decide to give in to their peers even though their actions may go against their beliefs. Emerson believed that by being an individual “you shall have the suffrage of the world.” Furthermore, an innocent sixteen year old girl’s parents go out of town for the weekend and she invites her cute, popular, senior star quarterback boyfriend over, but he pressures her into having sex when she i... ... middle of paper ... ...iance, readers are capable of seeing how citizens in the world today try to be independent of others and sustain their personal beliefs and philosophy. Individuals have to put an end to conformity and trying to be a duplication of everyone else because they will never achieve success if they never decide for themselves. A person must not rely on the judgment and minds of others and learn to think for him or herself since depending on others only exhibits a person’s inferiority to larger institutions. People must stop using travel as an excuse to evade personal problems because if they do not have a direct confrontation with the dilemma, trying to escape will only lengthen it. People in today’s society must appreciate this work so they will approve of their individuality and be stronger in fighting against everyone else that disagrees with their personal philosophy.

Show More
Related

  • Does Benjamin Anstas Make About Ralph Waldo Emerson Self Reliance

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    I agree with the statement Benjamin Anastas makes about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “self-reliance” of how it is “the most pernicious piece of literature in the American canon” (Anastas 602-603). One reason why I agree with Anastas is that Emerson believes the people are timid and apologetic and do not have opinions of their own. Another reason why I stand alongside Anastas is that Emerson thinks people are afraid of each other and the truth(s) that others have are but quotes from a saint or sage. My final reason that I believe Anastas is correct is due to Emerson believing our society does not gain anything new that makes life worth living.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Transcendentalism

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Humans have been shaped and formed like play-doh throughout time for eons and eras, molded by evolution, hardships, depressions, and disasters. In retaliation to devastation, people and societies form theories in order to better understand themselves, their history, and their action upon the earth. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle among many others studied the polis in an effort to understand people and their politics in order to offer their thoughts on the best way to coexist. Thousands of years later, a modest minister named Ralph Waldo Emerson stepped up and told the world that everything about our society and our mindset about it is wrong. People have turned into numb, mindless monsters, using others and stepping on them in order to rise

    Read More

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson's Nature

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    "In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, - no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, - my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space, - all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball. I am nothing. I see all. The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God."

    Read More

  • Comparing Emerson And Ray Bradbury

    460 Words  | 1 Pages

    The essence of human nature is shared by all humans on a psychological spectrum. Our spectrum bounces between our use of free thought, feelings, and our behaviors. In more complex terms, between our originality, values, and our demeanor. However, at times, humanity chooses to lack in these attributes, and would rather participate in simple-mindedness. Humanity virtues conformity, and as Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide” (Emerson 1). Alongside Emerson’s words is Ray Bradbury. Who instead of speaking on the subject of conformity, described it. Emerson is the author of an essay known as Self Reliance and Ray Bradbury is the

    Read More

  • Good Life Essay

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    We are constantly concerned with what others think of us that we become trapped in self absorption which is a cause of unhappiness, according to Emerson. We as a society must also encourage individuality and creativity and not punish those who defy the normal. Conformity in today’s society is far more prevalent than individuality and this is showing to become detrimental to the advancements of our people. We need to place an emphasis on discovering your true self while discouraging conformity and focusing on inward behaviors and

    Read More

  • What Is Emerson's Little Good To Say About Society

    78 Words  | 1 Pages

    Emerson has little good to say about society in contrast to the individual. He believes that society is anathema to the Ethics of Authenticity, what he calls “self-reliance,” believing, trusting, relying on oneself to lead the life one

    Read More

  • Emerson and Friendship

    371 Words  | 1 Pages

    Friendship is an important piece in a human's life. Our friendships mold us into the personalities we have become. I chose Emerson, because he agreed with my thoughts on friendship. When we are affectionate, we become active. We spend time thinking of our friends, important things to them and how to find ways to help them. We enjoy our time with our friends, so we look forward to activities with them. With new friends we invite to our house we talk about things we never new we could. This new friend is exciting to listen to. Since he is new, we see him as perfect. Once he or she has showed us their faults, we no longer have a feeling of nostalgia. It is like with any possession that is new. We are excited about it in the beginning, but it loses its luster after some time passes.

    Read More

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson Research Paper

    403 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ralph Waldo Emerson was an influential figure in journalism and religious and philosophical thought in early nineteenth century America. Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent much of his life. Born to a clergyman father, Ralph Waldo Emerson followed his footsteps through Boston College and Harvard and was ordained as a clergyman in 1829 in the Unitarian Church. The same year, he married Ellen Louisa Tucker, a girl from a wealthy family whom he had met while preaching in Concord, Massachusetts. With his new wife, Emerson moved back to Boston to become the minister at the Second Church of Boston. Once established in Boston, both Ralph and Ellen contracted tuberculosis. Ralph recovered, but in the winter of

    Read More

  • The Criticism Of Ralph Waldo Emerson

    2180 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston in 1803. He was a son of Unitarian minister and the descendant of New England clergymen. This led him to become a minister himself and later quit to focus on his philosophy called transcendentalism. Emerson started writing in his youth and later attended Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard in 1821 he taught in a women school. The book of Anthology of American Literature says, “Like his philosophy, his writing seemed to lack organization, but it swarmed with epigrams and memorable passages” (939). Even though Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works had flaws, he “was nineteenth-century America’s most notable essayist” (Anthology of American Literature 938). According to Daniel G. Payne Emerson’s point

    Read More

  • The Transcendentalist Movement

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    In society we make our own personal statements that make us unique. Individualism is less of a struggle to follow because it involves embracing yourself. In Self-Reliance Emerson displays his strong viewpoint on individualism and the divine spirit in all people. Emerson opens up his writing by noting that people become aware that “envy is ignorance and imitation is suicide”(Emerson). The concept of being an individual is so valuable according to Emerson that he equates it to be dead and oblivious. In society this value could be expressed by creating a unique fashion statement or voicing your own opinions. The struggle comes into play when you analyze what formed you to become this so called individual. If you have lived in society it is pretty hard to eliminate the way it has formed your own existence. The fact is your surroundings influence you as a person, so essentially your decisions are made for you. In the Devil Wears Prada, the movie, the designer makes a poignant note about the fashion industry that the pieces we wear have be crafted to fit groups in society. This is applicable to mostly all of modern society that products produced have had timed and effort to get it to its target individuals. So the struggle with modern society is not one’s ability to express themselves but how true are people to being individuals if your decisions have been made for

    Read More

  • John Emerson Biography

    391 Words  | 1 Pages

    John Haven Emerson was born February 5, 1906 in New York City. He was the son of Dr. Haven Emerson (A highly respected New York City Commissioner of health for many years). John Emerson was a self-taught American inventor of biomedical devices. Emerson specialized in respiratory equipment. (www.poliopalace.org,n.d.) In 1931, John Emerson introduced and improved upon a less expensive iron lung. The Emerson iron lung had a bed that could slide in and out of the cylinder as needed, and the tank had portal windows, which allowed attendants to reach in and adjust limbs, sheets, or hot packs. The patient lies within the chamber, which when sealed provides an effectively oscillating atmospheric pressure. The Emerson lung was lighter, quieter,

    Read More

  • Individuality In Today's Conformist Society

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Believing that individuality is more important than conforming is a viewpoint shared and supported by Transcendental philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Two major principles in which they lived by are the power of the individual and encouragement of non-conformity. Another successful movement and philosophy that shares

    Read More

  • Emerson And Conformity Analysis Essay

    139 Words  | 1 Pages

    This is a great analysis of Emerson’s take on conformity. I agree with your statement that our unconventional nature stems from these ideas of self-reliance set forth by Emerson. I would like to add that in some ways American Society is shifting away from Emerson’s philosophy of avoiding comparing to one another.“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the other people think”. (1337) Emerson suggests that too much emphasis on property, art and adventure, especially those not directly earned by the individual should be avoided. Emerson believed that if society did not look for greatness from within that we would become restless and forever be searching for meaning in our lives. “ I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions,

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Nelson Mandela And Mahatma Gandhi

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emerson believes that a person must not care about laws in order to be a hero. However, there are multiple instances where a hero is a hero because they are fighting against certain laws that they view as unjust. Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, and Abraham Lincoln show that today’s heroes are fighting against the laws and therefore, contrary to Emerson’s belief, are heros because the laws motivated their actions.

    Read More

  • Leaders, Followers, and Individuality: Insights from Emerson

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are two different kinds of people in the world: leaders and followers. Some individuals are born leaders, some natural born followers, and others just haven’t lived long enough to figure it out. One thing that should be said to the followers and the undecided: don’t become something you’re not just to please others. You have to please yourself first. Being yourself and pleasing your conscience is what is needed to succeed in life. And although it may be tempting to follow the new trend or the new fad, you have to think of what the future will bring by not doing. You have to remember: individuality is the key. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s idea an individual’s need to avoid conformity and believe in their own thoughts in Self-Reliance

    Read More

More about Emerson and His Impact on Today's Society

Open Document