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Self-Reliance Thinking for oneself is extremely important to the individual, as well as society as a whole. To think for oneself is something that is centered around self-reliance, and it is not just to simply follow what others believe or to follow what society deems correct. Emerson believes that an individual who is self-reliant believes that what is true to them is true to all men. According to Emerson, unique thought is what makes an individual wise. Self-reliance is something that Emerson finds very important to the success of an individual. “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Self-Reliance 2), this quote from the text shows how highly Emerson holds trusting oneself, and emphasizes that he believes self-reliance is what makes an individual great. Throughout the text, Emerson highlights conformity as the enemy of thinking for oneself and individuality. “The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion”(Self-Reliance 3), Emerson uses this quote to show that society demands conformity, which is why one who thinks for themselves is not always accepted by society; an example of this is Socrates. Socrates is a philosopher who is now considered to be brilliant, but in his time he was shunned by a majority of society and was eventually put to death for practicing philosophy After reading Emerson’s Self-Reliance, I have come to the understanding that conformity is extremely dangerous. Conformity isn’t simply just adverse of
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- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Individualism
- Conformity
- Individual
- Protagonist
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