Katie Deming Ralph Waldo Emerson 1. He was a Transcendentalist 2. Wrote the famous essay Self-Reliance 3.

His beliefs and his idealism were strong influences on the work of his protg Henry David Thoreau 4. Later work favored a more moderate balance between individual nonconformity and broader societal concerns 5. Earlier work consisted of preaching that had often touched on the personal nature of spirituality Henry David Thoreau 1. Began writing nature poetry in the 1840s 2. Wrote Civil Disobedience 3. He made a strong case for acting on one's individual conscience and not blindly following laws and government policy 4. Thoreau has endured because so much of what he wrote about is still relevant today 5. Avid abolitionist 10 tenets of Transcendentalism 1. Live life to the fullest - You only get to live once, so dont waste your time while youre here. 2. Thou salt not conform - Dont worry about needing to fit in, dont follow because society does it. 3. Individualism - Think for you, society doesnt make the rules. You do. 4. Do not worship the material - Your ideas stray from being your own when you want material things. 5. Be your own mentor - You are the you-est. you that you can be, make your own good decisions. 6. Society corrupts individuals inherent goodness society fails to cope with the individual needs of the many diverse people that live in our country 7. Be one with God, not the church

-people are good and can use God but they dont need to be ruled by it. 8. Simplicity -Beauty is nature and nature is simplicity and peace. 9. Moral values - You have to beneficial to all of the things around you. 10. Nature is sacred -there is no excuse to not be involved in nature, inability to become able is due to not being connected to nature.

The tenet that I relate to the most is Individualism, I believe that you set your own ideas, no one can tell you anything you dont want to hear. You make the rules for your ownself so you can therefor control all your actions. This tenet emphasizes the need to not conform to what society expects. Even if your ideas are unpopular, that is what makes you an individual by forming your own opinions and thats the whole idea of being and individual and being independent.