Loading Likes... I am not sure if it was Emerson’s flowing, sermon-like syntax, his memorable one-liners “Goodness must have some edge to it” (219) or the fact that I still feel like a college freshman figuring out my life, but “Self-Reliance” moved me more than his other works thus far. I found myself engaged and agreeing with Emerson’s notions of self-confidence and individuality. Through his allusions to “greats” of history such as Plato and Milton, I felt Emerson’s passion in emphasizing the importance of being true to one’s own ideas despite society’s standards. I felt particularly moved by Emerson’s defense of youth. Although they may not level up to the opinions and eloquence of older generations, Emerson says to not count them out. As someone who was once (still is) “that very lump of bashfulness and phlegm for which weeks has done nothing but eat when you were by, that now rolls out these words like bell-strokes,” I appreciated this representation. Although I relate less to being a “sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont,” I am endeared by the notion of having many chances in life rather than being defined by a singular moment in the past(228). The notion of “self-trust” and certainty that things will work out also seems to come with the added perk of making “his name dear to all History” (228).
Additionally, I am a strong proponent of letting “words be gazetted and ridiculous henceforward” (222). In particular, throughout the beginning of my college experience I caught myself self-editing and undercutting my own ideas before I could express them. Whether meeting new people or speaking in new situations, I found that carefully crafted ideas often hindered myself from freer expression. I interpret Emerson’s ideas as encouragement to just chat freely, which I think is liberating. Furthermore, I think I could benefit from channeling Emerson’s attitude that “What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think” (219). Part of me wonders if this essay emerged in some sort of frustrated stream-of-consciousness after Emerson spent too much time with old-fashioned or ostentatious intellectuals of the 1800s. Whether or not that is the case, I appreciate his call to subvert conformity. I can’t imagine Emerson wasn’t a bit of a quirky fella himself, and I find that idea reinforced in his direct call-out of conformists in this essay.
Perhaps I catered heavily to my “creative reading” of this essay by focusing solely on what applied to my current situation and sentiments, but I appreciated “Self-Reliance” as a reminder to remain true to myself. Emerson writes, “But do your thing, and I shall know you” (220). To that I say, “Thanks Emerson, I will.”