"Travelling is a fool's paradise."
People travel to see new things and try to escape themselves but that's impossible.
"We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents."
We only say things and do things society will deem acceptable. In doing this we are hiding the divine part of us (our soul).
"Life only avails, not the having lived. Power ceases in the instant of repose."
You can only have power while you're in action. Giving up or stopping takes that power away. You have to live every moment of your life because that avails, not the fact that you have lived.
"What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what people think."
To Emerson this was what distinguishes greatness and meanness. To be great you have to stop caring about how society will react to what you say or do. This is hard especially when people think they know your place better than you do. They will try to tell you what to think and what to do but you can't listen. It's easy in solitude to do this but once you add society it becomes harder. A "great man" can maintain solitude in a crowd. Ne can keep his own ideas and opinions and not let them be drowned out by the crowd. You have to rely on your own instinct and can't be swayed by the crowd's position. I personally think it's hard not to care what people think. Sometimes not thinking of others is selfish because ultimately your actions do affect others. But in general I'm all for defying society's norms if you don't agree with them or they restrict you. Emerson says that a great man is the nonconformist. You have to rely on yourself and make your own judgement calls. Do your own thing and surprise society, it may lead to revolutionary action. Think back to the abolitionists whose ideas were considered radical. They didn't conform to society's standards and their work helped lead to the end of slavery in the US.
5 comments:
Emma B-
The obvious response to this quote is that one must not care what other people think of him. But I really like you idea that sometimes not thinking of others is selfish because ultimately your actions do affect others. It is important to have a good balance. Be an individual and stick up for what you believe, but also realize the affects of what you do. Although I really have no respect for people who just play the devils-advocate and pretend to be more individualistic than they really are. I know many people who say they are against one thing, but are completely hypocritical in their actions. Overall though the most important thing and often the most difficult is to stand up for what you believe in because YOU believe in it.
Dear Emma,
I agree with your point that it's necessary for us to stand up for our beliefs, and not fall into this vicious circle of constant concern about pleasing others. To echo what Lauren said I also agree with the fact that you need to take in to consideration the affect of your actions on others, and not make selfish mistakes. I agree that it's hard to ignore society and all its harsh opinions, but at the same time I don't feel like many things in life are a walk in the park. I think that the reason why it is so difficult to stand up to society, is why the term "a great man" is one that is not thrown around easily because those few had a overcome a large group of people and turn a blind eye to others harsh words. I really liked how you referenced back to the abolitionists...GO APUSH!
Love,
Frannie
Emma-
I definitely agree with your opinion that a great man is someone who can stay true to himself, even when he is constantly surrounded by the opinions of others or being watched by the critical eye of society. I also agree that it is extremely difficult not to care what others think. Although I think everyone should stand up for what they believe I also see your point about considering others at the same time. Soemtimes the masses are right and the individual is wrong, take some of the cruel dictators we have seen in the past for example. It takes a strong person to stand strong in a crowd, it takes an even stronger perosn to stand out and then realize that they were wrong.
I feel that it must take a lot of courage to go against society. However, as seen in history defience is the stepping stones to greatness. Take Martin Luther King Jr. for example, he rose up against a white society, fought for racial equality, but most importantly defyed a belief that was widely held by society at that time. Since he took action and fought for something he believed in, he earned that title of a revolutionary hero in many eyes.
If no one went against society than everyone would be the same. So it is imporant that each person express their own individuality and beliefs. Ignore what society thinks and just do what you like, not what others like.
Your absolutely right. It's not just difficult in the midst of the crowd to say what you really believe, but it takes a lot more than guts. You have to put yourself out on the line, risk everything that you care about, and hope the outcome was worth the pain. It's difficult to say to society that all you do only concerns you, because in reality what you do may impact society. Your actions often influence societies actions. What I get out of this is that you shouldn't care about what society thinks of your choices, as long as you can live with the choices you make. Great call with bringing in the abolitionists movements. They risked everything, and look what they got in return; everything. To quote the Fray, "sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same." Often our most difficult decissions involve our own fears that society will not approve. The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps in perfect sweetness his own solitude, but I think the greater man is he who in the midst of himself, makes the choices everyone is afraid to make. To do something unnatural or heroic. To stand up for others when everyone else is afraid too. Good job em. You really nailed this one.
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