As a Creative Writer myself, I have thoroughly come to enjoy reading the works of Emerson. His writing is exceptionally thought-provoking and descriptive, and I was particularly drawn to his essay on Self-Reliance. The concept of “self-reliance” is something I’ve encountered frequently in my own life, so I was pleased to read Emerson’s take on it as well.
Emerson’s perspective is much like my own: the ability to rely on one’s sense of self, cultivating their own individual ideas and opinions, even if they are at odds with those around us, is one of the proudest acts we can achieve as individuals. Our differences–the variance between our ideas and opinions–is what sets humanity apart. We would never be able to discover new ways of doing, of seeing, of simply being, if we neglect to embrace being ourselves. I will admit, there was a time where I was easily swayed by others (as many are nowadays by the many forms of widespread influence, such as social media). I am a Writer; I’ve always found great passion in creating my own narratives. But, up until last semester, I didn’t write for myself–I wrote for what I believed others wanted to hear. And, naturally, I found myself struggling. I was struggling to construct something that had the same passion as my content from years ago, and that bothered me. Not to mention, at the same time I was convinced I was going to be a Neuroscience major. Only, it wasn’t because I was interested in pursuing it professionally, I just thought society would value such sophisticated choice. It took last summer to knock some sense into myself and finally begin writing again–but this time, it wasn’t for anyone else but myself. Finally, I began creating uninhibitedly. I began fleshing out a long-ignored idea I had for a book, writing it how I wanted to write it, not how others told me it should be done. I switched my major (to Creative Writing) and have been pursuing a passion deep within myself that I never should have ignored. And, lo and behold, I wholeheartedly believe I am creating my best work because I have learned to accept and trust myself as I am–a Writer.
Although there are flaws that can be plucked out of Emerson’s argument (as with any other debate, which I’m sure includes mine as well), I do agree with several of his points and find a lot of truth in them. I especially enjoyed Emerson’s quote, “in every work of genius we recognize as our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty,” as it is what ultimately inspired the topic of this blog post. Only, instead of being envious of seeing my rejected thoughts in others’ works of art, I am creating those thoughts for myself when they appear, because it is what I am–and everyone else is– meant to do with their individualism.
-Siena Rose
I think Emerson’s call to self-confidence and expression is incredibly inspiring and has virtues that we could all stand to take something from. While he doesn’t explicitly say this, his emphasis on self-trust can be a really powerful motivator for anyone who is struggling with identity–almost that you don’t have to work to find an identity, because whatever you are is already good enough.
I agree that Emerson’s writing seems timeless, and “Self-Reliance” can be a helpful reminder especially for our generation since we are overexposed to the lives and opinions of others constantly. While I believe his writing was a little extreme on the front of individualism, it’s a helpful reminder to trust yourself instead of striving to emulate the lives of others.
I also enjoy reading Emerson a lot. I like the point that you bring up at the beginning of your post when you say, “the ability to rely on one’s sense of self, cultivating their own individual ideas and opinions, even if they are at odds with those around us, is one of the proudest acts we can achieve as individuals”. I think this is important to think about as we live in a generation that’s so heavily impacted by social media and conforming to what the current trends are. I also enjoyed reading about your growth as a writer, and I think that it’s always really important to stay true to what you want to do, instead of forcing yourself to conform to somebody else’s expectations, especially when it’s at the expense of your own happiness.