Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”

Emerson begins his essay with three epigraphs that emphasize the importance of following one's
own intuitions and thoughts rather than conforming to social norms. He begins the essay by
reflecting on how often an individual has some great insight, only to dismiss it because it came
from their own imagination. We should respect these ideas even more than those of famous
artists and philosophers, according to Emerson; it is the wise thinker who knows that "imitation
is suicide." and the path to success is through one's own perception and creativity.

The most important realization any person can have, according to Emerson, is that they can trust
themselves above all others. They should have faith in their ability to make the best of it. This is
something that babies, childrens, and even animals intuitively understand.

Emerson then proceeds discussing the relationship between the individual and society by stating
that, we may be like babies or infants when alone, but once we step out into the world, the inner
voice that carries our truth vanishes. Emerson says that people must embrace nonconformity to
recover their self-reliance, even if doing so requires the individual to reject the concept of
goodness. He believes that this goodness comes from the individual’s own intuition, and not
what is visible to society.

Furthermore, living according to the world's definition of goodness seems simple, and living
according to one's own definition of goodness is simple, when one is alone, but it takes a
genuinely courageous person to live out one's own definition of goodness in the face of societal
strain. While it may seem easier to simply comply with societal demands, it is more difficult
since one's power of individualism is scattered. Aware that being a nonconformist is easier
argued than lived, Emerson warns that if an individual refuses to conform to society's dictates, he
or she should be prepared for disapproval from people. The polite disapproval of cultivated
people would be easy to brush off, but the loud and rough disapproval of common people, the
crowd, would require all of the individual's inner strength to face down.

The world's obsession with consistency, according to Emerson, is another roadblock for would-
be nonconformists. But, he claims, why should you be bound at all by your past actions or fear
contradicting yourself? Emerson notes that, inconsistency has become a devil in society, and the
result is small-mindedness. He illustrates his argument with historical and religious examples,
pointing out that every great person we have ever met has refused to be bound by the past. He
advises that if you want to be great, you should embrace being misunderstood just like the great
figures. Emerson claims that a person should trust that inconsistency is merely an appearance,
since every action always reflects an underlying harmony that is rooted in one’s own
individuality. So long as the individual is true to themselves, their actions will be authentic and
good.
Emerson hopes that by now, everybody understands how absurd conformity is and the negative
impact it has on American culture, based on his points in the first part of the essay. He describes
American culture of the day as one of mediocrity that can only be overcome with the recognition
that in each individual is a little bit of the universe, of God, and that wherever the individual lives
authentically, God is to be found. Emerson believes people tap into that truth, into justice, and
into wisdom by sitting still and letting the underlying reality that grounds us and all creation
speak through us in the form of intuition. Everything else—time, space, even the past—appears
as something apart from the underlying reality only because of our habits of thinking. Emerson
counsels that people can escape that way of thinking by living in the present like plants do, and,
like everything in nature, expressing one’s self against all comers.

Emerson laments the fact that his society has lost all understanding of what it means to be self-
reliance. He defines his historical moment as "weak," with "no great people" born of it, and city
boys pursuing professions leave as soon as they encounter an initial failure. Emerson admires the
country boy who attempts new things without fear of failure or conforming to society; these are
the people who, in Emerson's opinion, will make America's history. Emerson argues that if a
person wants to pursue true virtue, he or she must fight everything that oppresses their sense of
individuality, even if others accuse them of gross immorality as a result. Taking care to meet
their perceptions of their duties to loved ones or even to themselves will vindicate them and may
even persuade others to see things their way.

Emerson concludes his essay by applying the abstract idea of self-reliance to concrete examples.
He argues that self-reliance will revolutionize any aspect of society, if we allow it. We should
quit praying for someone or something outside of ourselves to save us, we should take action.
Instead of subordinating our experiences to religions and philosophies, we should trust our
instincts. Emerson claims that Americans should avoid going abroad to become cultured and
instead develop their own arts, literature, and culture using resources available right in their own
home. People should stop finding their identities in property, according to Emerson, and instead
recognize that the most important part of a man is inside him. Self-reliance can even be applied
to politics: Emerson argues that we should quit governing ourselves by political parties and
instead have each man govern himself by intuition. Emerson continues by stating that the true
road to peace is self-reliance.