Self-Reliance, By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance” argues the importance of self-reliance because of his belief that people are inherently good and full of potential. In the essay, Emerson discusses that the greatest obstacle to self-reliance is conformity. He provides examples that demonstrate the specific consequences of conformity such as unawareness of one’s own gifts and fear of rejection. Emerson argues that in order to be self-reliant, people must overcome their need for conformity and instead embrace their own greatness through acceptance.
Near the beginning of the essay, Emerson indicates that he objects to conformity because people do not recognize their own gifts. He presents his disapproval when he states:
Envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion. (Emerson 20)

People who make these types of comparisons notice how the differ from the rest of society and become jealous of another’s possessions, characteristics, or even abilities. They only focus on the fact that someone else has advantages that they lack or cannot achieve. According to Emerson, this is an unhealthy mindset for people to have because not only does envy cause resentment towards others, but also a longing for something that people cannot fulfill. More importantly, Emerson believes that people who desire someone else’s fortune for themselves are “ignorant” because they do not realize that they possess talents of their