Self-Reliance and Other Essays

Ralph Waldo Emerson an American transcendentalist philosopher and essayist penned Self-Reliance in 1841. One of Emersons recurring themes is presented here in its most comprehensive form: each person must eschew conformity and fake consistency in favor of acting according to his or her own whims and principles. One of Emersons most well-known quotes comes from this: A stupid consistency is the hobgoblin of tiny minds beloved by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. The nature of the aboriginal self on which a universal reliance may be built is examined in this essay. Emerson emphasizes the value of individualism and how it affects a persons level of life pleasure.