Ralph Waldo Emerson: An American Transcendentalist

Same sex marriage, gender inequality, race, and ethnicity discrimination plus many more are just obstacles on the road that one can overcome. If someone tells you, you cannot do something prove them wrong. You can do whatever you want to do and be whatever you want to be. Never let someone else tell you who you can or cannot be or what you can and cannot do. An American transcendentalist, or more known as idealist, who believed in self reliance was Ralph Waldo Emerson, the father of American Literature. Emerson, born on May 25, 1803 in Boston Massachusetts, was known as an intellectual being who wrote great books and speeches with great integrity. He was a man who believed in God and knew that everything was possible if you would go out there and reach your goals. American society is known to bash and discriminate regardless of what you do. However, if society were to see what Emerson saw, it would be completely different in some aspects. “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 270). That quote is quite genius.

How can someone do what they want without having some kind of consequence attached to it? For example, I want to become a cardio thoracic surgeon; however, in order to do that I would need to overcome some consequences that come with my goal. I am currently enlisted in the United States Military in the Navy branch because money plays a big factor in what I would like to do in the future. The consequence here is that my family would be the one hurting because of my departure. Some of them do not believe I can accomplish this goal of mine. Emerson wants us to trust ourselves; he quotes in “Self Reliance”, “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”(270). Believing in yourself is the key to success. Don’t give up until you have tried because you never know what the outcome may