Ralph Waldo Emerson Self Reliance

In class this week, I read the essay, “Self-Reliance,” written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson uses this essay to describe what self-reliance is. This essay can be confusing to read, so many readers have to try to interpret what Emerson is trying to say. In his essay, he states that “self-reliance” is need for each individual to avoid conformity and follow their own instincts and ideas. Someone who is not self-reliant, has dependency on others to make decisions and control their lives for them.

How can someone become self-reliance? To be self-reliant, one must assume responsibilities, be informed, know where they are going, and make their own decisions. To assume responsibilities, a person needs to be able to do things for themselves. They must be dependent and do more than just getting by. To be informed, one must study hard and never miss a chance to learn something. Thinking about your goals in life is a way to help someone to know where they are going. A person needs to know how to make their own decisions in life so they can be self-reliant.

I do ask my family for advice if I need a little help with a problem, but for the most part, I depend mostly on myself. A way that I am self-reliant, is that I do most things independently. I study and do school work by myself without any help. This helps me grow more into an individual my letting me grow with what I have failed or succeeded in. If I want to achieve something. I work very hard to accomplish my goal. I use checklists very often to make sure I am organized so that I can complete all of my tasks in a decent manner. If I did something wrong and need to clean up a mess, I will fix what I need to without asking others to do it for