Analysis of Self-Reliance
Analysis of “Self-Reliance”
In his essay “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson addresses the need for individuals to rely on their own thoughts and experiences to live their lives fully, instead of deferring to the thoughts and actions of others as a model for life. He rejects a passive acceptance of conventional morality and religion in favor of developing one’s own morality. Emerson also urges individuals to think for themselves rather than accepting the thoughts of others. Ultimately, Emerson urges readers to develop their own authentic life as opposed to imitating the lives of others.
One passage from the essay stood out to me, when Emerson remarks, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind” (insert page # here; this is paragraph 7 of the essay) .This part goes on to discuss Emerson’s response to someone who persisted in preaching to him of religious doctrine and ends with him declaring: “[B]ut if I am the Devil's child, I will live then from the Devil." No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature” (ibid). Emerson appears to have little respect for those who simply accept religion as an authoritative source that should dictate how people live. This attitude ties in to my own attitude toward religion. If we took the stories of God and Satan and removed the religious filter from them, then God would be perceived as a tyrant who demands complete obedience from everyone, and Satan would be perceived as the rebellious hero who defies that tyranny. As an atheist, I reject the notion that either God or Satan has any divine authority, but if I regarded the stories as anything but myth, my sympathies would be with Satan. Yet, as Emerson pointed out, it is possible to live a moral life, a good life, without blindly accepting religious doctrine.
In another paragraph, Emerson promotes the idea of disregarding public opinion: “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it” (insert page # here; this is paragraph 9 of the essay). In this paragraph, Emerson emphasizes that acting on one’s own beliefs and principles is far more important than doing what society tells you that you should do. He notes that it is easy to listen to and be influenced by the minds of others. Again, this paragraph appealed to me because I think society’s norms are often foolish. If everyone followed society’s dictates that we should grow up, attend college, find a job, and settle into a comfortable middle-class existence, where would new authors, new musicians, new artists come from? One hundred years ago society placed no value on a woman who chose not to marry and have children; she would have been regarded as someone to be pitied. That attitude has changed precisely because there were women who opted not to listen to “those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.”
Throughout the essay, Emerson rejects conventional thoughts and attitudes toward how to live one’s life, arguing instead that relying on one’s own thoughts, moral principles, experiences, and insights makes for an authentic life. He has no use for people who follow like sheep and choose not to think for themselves. He uses a calm, rational tone to urge readers to consider these ideas and act upon them as they choose, in fitting with the very ideas he is promoting.
Works Cited
Emerson, R.W. (2013). Self-Reliance. In Bryant, J. (Ed.). Introduction to American Literature (page range of essay ###–###). Boston: Pearson Learning Solution.
