emerson essay self reliance

• Annotated Full Text
• Literary Period: Transcendentalism
• Publication Date: 1841
• Flesch-Kincaid Level: 9
• Approx. Reading Time: 52 minutes
• Self-Reliance

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance” embodies some of the most prominent themes of the transcendentalist movement in the 19th century. First published in 1841, “Self-Reliance” advocates for individualism and encourages readers to trust and follow their own instincts and intuition rather than blindly adhere to the will of others. The writing is elegant and poetic; its concepts timeless and words pure. Emerson draws supporting examples from a range of major historical figures, from Aristotle to Napoleon Bonaparte, to show how their success and genius came from originality and innovation, instead of conformity. With its most early conception coming shortly after the death of his wife, “Self-Reliance” manifests feelings of hope and optimism that could seldom be expected at a time of such despair. Emerson doesn’t withhold from letting his readers know the true value they have to offer the world, asserting that self-reliance serves as a beginning point for a more efficient, productive society.

Table of Contents

• Alliteration
• Historical Context
• Literary Devices
• Rhetorical Devices

Study Guide

• Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography

Teaching Resources

• Self-Reliance Allusion Activity
• Self-Reliance Teaching Guide

A Summary and Analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ‘Self-Reliance’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Self-Reliance’ is an influential 1841 essay by the American writer and thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82). In this essay, Emerson argues that we should get to know our true selves rather than looking to other people to fashion our individual thoughts and ideas for us. Among other things, Emerson’s essay is a powerful rallying cry against the lure of conformity and groupthink.

Emerson prefaces his essay with several epigraphs, the first of which is a Latin phrase which translates as: ‘Do not seek yourself outside yourself.’ This axiom summarises the thrust of Emerson’s argument, which concerns the cultivation of one’s own opinions and thoughts, even if they are at odds with those of the people around us (including family members).

This explains the title of his essay: ‘Self-Reliance’ is about relying on one’s own sense of oneself, and having confidence in one’s ideas and opinions. In a famous quotation, Emerson asserts: ‘In every work of genius we recognise our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.’

But if we reject those thoughts when they come to us, we must suffer the pangs of envy of seeing the same thoughts we had (or began to have) in works of art produced by the greatest minds. This is a bit like the phenomenon known as ‘I wish I’d thought of that!’, only, Emerson argues, we did think of it, or something similar. But we never followed through on those thoughts because we weren’t interested in examining or developing our own ideas that we have all the time.

In ‘Self-Reliance’, then, Emerson wants us to cultivate our own minds rather than looking to others to dictate our minds for us. ‘Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind,’ he argues. For Emerson, our own minds are even more worthy of respect than actual religion.

Knowing our own minds is far more valuable and important than simply letting our minds be swayed or influenced by other people. ‘It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion’, Emerson argues, and ‘it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.’

In other words, most people are weak and think they know themselves, but can easily abandon all of their principles and beliefs and be swept up by the ideas of the mob. But the great man is the one who can hold to his own principles and ideas even when he is the one in the minority .

Emerson continues to explore this theme of conformity:

A man must consider what a blindman’s-buff is this game of conformity. If I know your sect, I anticipate your argument. I hear a preacher announce for his text and topic the expediency of one of the institutions of his church. Do I not know beforehand that not possibly can he say a new and spontaneous word? Do I not know that, with all this ostentation of examining the grounds of the institution, he will do no such thing? Do I not know that he is pledged to himself not to look but at one side, – the permitted side, not as a man, but as a parish minister?

He goes on:

This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars. Their every truth is not quite true. Their two is not the real two, their four not the real four; so that every word they say chagrins us, and we know not where to begin to set them right.

Emerson then argues that consistency for its own sake is a foolish idea. He declares, in a famous quotation, ‘A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.’

Instead, great men change and refine their opinions from one day to the next, as new evidence or new ideas come to light. Although this inconsistency may lead us to be misunderstood, Emerson thinks there are worse things to be. After all, great thinkers such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and even Jesus were all misunderstood by some people.

Emerson also argues that, just because we belong to the same social group as other people, this doesn’t mean we have to follow the same opinions. In a memorable image, he asserts that he likes ‘the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching’: that moment when everyone can have their own individual thoughts, before they are brought together by the priest and are told to believe the same thing.

Similarly, just because we share blood with our relatives, that doesn’t mean we have to believe what other family members believe. Rather than following their ‘customs’, ‘petulance’, or ‘folly’, we must be ourselves first and foremost.

The same is true of travel. We may say that ‘travel broadens the mind’, but for Emerson, if we do not have a sense of ourselves before he pack our bags and head off to new places, we will still be the same foolish person when we arrive at our destination:

Travelling is a fool’s paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go.

Emerson concludes ‘Self-Reliance’ by urging his readers, ‘Insist on yourself; never imitate.’ If you borrow ‘the adopted talent’ of someone else, you will only ever be in ‘half possession’ of it, whereas you will be able to wield your own ‘gift’ if you take the time and effort to cultivate and develop it.

Although some aspects of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s argument in ‘Self-Reliance’ may strike us as self-evident or mere common sense, he does take issue with several established views on the self in the course of his essay. For example, although it is often argued that travel broadens the mind, to Emerson our travels mean nothing if we have not prepared our own minds to respond appropriately to what we see.

And although many people might argue that consistency is important in one’s thoughts and opinions, Emerson argues the opposite, asserting that it is right and proper to change our opinions from one day to the next, if that is what our hearts and minds dictate.

Similarly, Emerson also implies, at one point in ‘Self-Reliance’, that listening to one’s own thoughts should take precedence over listening to the preacher in church.

It is not that he did not believe Christian teachings to be valuable, but that such preachments would have less impact on us if we do not take the effort to know our own minds first. We need to locate who we truly are inside ourselves first, before we can adequately respond to the world around us.

In these and several other respects, ‘Self-Reliance’ remains as relevant to our own age as it was to Emerson’s original readers in the 1840s. Indeed, perhaps it is even more so in the age of social media, in which young people take selfies of their travels but have little sense of what those places and landmarks really mean to them.

Similarly, Emerson’s argument against conformity may strike us as eerily pertinent to the era of social media, with its echo chambers and cultivation of a hive mind or herd mentality.

In the last analysis, ‘Self-Reliance’ comes down to trust in oneself as much as it does reliance on oneself. Emerson thinks we should trust the authority of our own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs over the beliefs of the herd.

Of course, one can counter such a statement by pointing out that Emerson is not pig-headedly defending the right of the individual to be loudly and volubly wrong. We should still seek out the opinions of others in order to sharpen and test our own. But it is important that we are first capable of having our own thoughts. Before we go out into the world we must know ourselves , and our own minds. The two-word axiom which was written at the site of the Delphic Oracle in ancient Greece had it right: ‘Know Thyself.’

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Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance Summary (and PDF): Become Your Own Person

In his famous 1841 essay Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson argues that society is in conspiracy against our individuality. To really live good lives, we must have the courage to resist conformity and trust the ‘immense intelligence’ of our own intuition and gut instinct.

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H ow can we best navigate existence? Should we go along with the conventions of society? Should we respect the prevailing traditions and opinions of the day? Or should we relentlessly carve our own paths through life?

Throughout his work, the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) made his answers to such questions clear, spearheading the Transcendentalist movement of mid-19th century America.

One of the key hallmarks of the Transcendentalist movement, which notably included Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Henry David Thoreau (see our reading list of Thoreau’s best books here ), is its celebration of the supremacy — even divinity — of nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Divinity is not locked in a distant heaven, say transcendentalists; it is accessible right here in the company of the natural world.

We are thus at our best not when we conform to voices outside ourselves, but when we follow the voice within — the glimmering insight, the “immense intelligence” of our natural intuition and instincts.

Society on this view is seen as a corrupting force — it takes us away from our natural wisdom.

Emerson offers the beginnings of a path for how we might resist the pressures of society in his famous 1841 essay, Self-Reliance (access the full text of Self-Reliance as a free PDF here ), which features in my reading list of Emerson’s best books , and is a crucial contribution to Transcendentalist thought.

With eloquent, persuasive prose, Emerson fiercely defends the idea that the good life involves defying conformity, taking charge of our own existences, and living in accordance with the wisdom of the natural world.

Let’s take a look at Emerson’s essay in more detail, and see why his critique of conformity and celebration of individuality remains so acclaimed to this day.

Emerson: in works of genius, we find our own buried thoughts

E merson begins Self-Reliance by discussing a funny thing he’s observed about great works of art. Namely: that they often reflect our own buried thoughts and feelings back to us. He writes:

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.

Emerson reflects,

Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility [even] when the whole cry of voices is on the other side.

In other words, if we identify our own buried thoughts and concerns in works of genius — works we celebrate and implore others to read, watch, or listen to — then why, Emerson questions, do we often lack the conviction to express or act on such thoughts ourselves?

Perhaps, Emerson laments, we push down such thoughts because they go against convention in some way, or because we feel they might embarrass or expose us if spoken aloud.

In short: because we’re worried by the judgment of others…

Thus Emerson sets up his attack on convention and conformity, within which he thinks we all hide ourselves for fear of exposing our true natures.

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Society is in conspiracy against our individuality

W ith its silly status games and hierarchies, society saps our confidence and self-reliance, Emerson thinks: “It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.”

As we move through life, we must navigate pre-existing power structures and conventions, and stagger through storms of opinion on what we think, say, and do.

Confident, persuasive voices will try to convince us that this is the way; while others will shame us for daring to act differently.

But against this noise we must try to preserve our individuality, Emerson implores:

You will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

While outsourcing our opinions to the crowd may be tempting, and might feel like the safer option, in doing so we only falsify ourselves, Emerson warns:

Most men have bound their eyes with one or another handkerchief, and attached themselves to some one of these communities of opinion. This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars. Their every truth is not quite true.

Of course, society will punish us for trying to steer our own course. “For nonconformity”, Emerson observes, “the world whips you with its displeasure.”

We feel pressure to act according to the expectations of others, because “the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them.”

But exchanging our true selves for the comfort of the crowd is a cost we should not be willing to bear, Emerson thinks:

Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.

After all, what but mediocrity awaits us in convention and consistency?

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.

Really living means growing and adapting, Emerson says — even if by growing and adapting we contradict our former selves, or people’s expectations of us:

Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? …Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today.

“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think,” Emerson declares: “No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.”

Being self-reliant: the ineffable intelligence of our inner nature

W e might wonder why Emerson places so much stock on our ‘inner natures’ — what does he really mean by maintaining our individuality? How might we do so?

Well, Emerson thinks we are endowed with intuition from nature, an immense ‘gut’ intelligence that trumps the fleeting fashions of opinion in society.

“We lie in the lap of immense intelligence,” he writes,

which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity. When we discern justice, when we discern truth, we do nothing of ourselves, but allow a passage to its beams. If we ask whence this comes, if we seek to pry into the soul that causes, all philosophy is at fault. Its presence or its absence is all we can affirm.

We cannot necessarily articulate it, but most of us will be familiar with having a ‘feeling in our gut’ or ‘call of conscience’. It is this kind of intuition that Emerson thinks we should trust much more than public opinion.

We are part of nature, yet the opinions of society corrupt us away from nature:

Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say ‘I think,’ ‘I am,’ but quotes some saint or sage… These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are… [but] man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future…

We will not be happy or strong until, like the examples in nature all around us, we live in the present without second-guessing ourselves, “above time”, self-reliant .

Do not imitate: entrust yourself to be your own person

E merson argues our best acts will never come through imitation, for we will never surpass those on whom we model ourselves.

It is only through really, truly, authentically being ourselves that we can live lives of which we can be proud — lives that take us beyond dreary mediocrity. Emerson writes:

Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession.

For, indeed, he questions, “where is the master who could have taught Shakspeare?”

Every great person is unique , Emerson thinks. It is through embracing your uniqueness that you shall succeed:

Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart, and thou shalt reproduce the Foreworld again.

Make authenticity the foundation of your relationships

B ut what of others? If living only according to our own intuition for how we should live, does Emerson’s philosophy mean selfishness?

No, Emerson says, it means authenticity: seeking to bloom into the best versions of ourselves — not what society claims is best for us; seeking to be human beings of value — not creatures of conformity.

“Live no longer to the expectation of these deceived and deceiving people with whom we converse,” Emerson writes. “Say to them,

O father, O mother, O wife, O brother, O friend, I have lived with you after appearances hitherto. Henceforward I am the truth’s. Be it known unto you that henceforward I obey no law less than the eternal law... I shall endeavor to nourish my parents, to support my family, to be the chaste husband of one wife, — but these relations I must fill after a new and unprecedented way. I appeal from your customs. I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions…

We still strive to be the best we can be, and to respect and honor our loved ones, but through actions and behaviors that we command, not that are commanded for us.

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Indeed, to be the best people we can be, we must no longer bury ourselves under layers of convention; it would be better for all of us if we could be sincere.

We might not all agree with one another, but we can respect each other’s right to disagree in the name of authenticity:

If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men’s, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh today? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last.

Perhaps such defiance may make us worry about upsetting our loved ones. “Yes,” Emerson concedes,

but I cannot sell my liberty and my power, to save their sensibility. Besides, all persons have their moments of reason, when they look out into the region of absolute truth; then will they justify me, and do the same thing.

People may think that by rejecting convention we are defying all codes of conduct, but such people are misguided; we are now simply living in line with the immense intelligence of nature, not the fleeting opinions of society:

And truly it demands something godlike in him who has cast off the common motives of humanity, and has ventured to trust himself for a taskmaster. High be his heart, faithful his will, clear his sight, that he may in good earnest be doctrine, society, law, to himself, that a simple purpose may be to him as strong as iron necessity is to others!

Living according to your own authority

T hough we may begin our lives living according to the conventions of the day or the expectations of others, there comes a time where the scales fall from our eyes and we must become ourselves. As Emerson puts it:

There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself, for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.

So, Emerson commands: do not outsource your share of life to the opinions of others, nor to fortune or luck. Take charge of your own existence, and live according to your own authority right now:

A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you. Do not believe it. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.

Explore Emerson’s philosophy of self-reliance further

W hat do you make of Emerson’s analysis? Do you value self-reliance over conformity? Do you agree that our intuition is often wiser than public opinion? Or is there an extent to which the ‘call’ of conscience we hear internally is actually the voice of society inside us?

If you’d like to explore Emerson’s view further, you can read his Self-Reliance essay in full in this free PDF (if you have a spare 30-40 minutes, I highly recommend doing so — it’s a fantastic read. Emerson offers powerful critiques of different aspects of society — including the objects of education, travel, and the accumulation of wealth — and treats us to some beautiful natural imagery in his illustration of how we might live happier, more authentic lives.)

You might also be interested in these related reads which discuss the importance of self-reliance for living well:

• The Porcupine’s Dilemma: Schopenhauer’s Wistful Parable on Human Connection
• Übermensch Explained: the Meaning of Nietzsche’s ‘Superman’
• Albert Camus on Coping with Life's Absurdity
• Kierkegaard On Finding the Meaning of Life
• Ralph Waldo Emerson: The Best 5 Books to Read
• Henry David Thoreau: The Best 5 Books to Read

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Self-Reliance

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• The Literature Network - Self-Reliance

Self-Reliance , essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson , published in the first volume of his collected Essays (1841). Developed from his journals and from a series of lectures he gave in the winter of 1836–37, it exhorts the reader to consistently obey “the aboriginal self,” or inner law, regardless of institutional rules, popular opinion, tradition, or other social regulators. Emerson’s doctrine of self-sufficiency and self-reliance arose naturally from his view that the individual need only look inward for the spiritual guidance that was previously the province of the established churches.

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Self-Reliance

Ralph waldo emerson.

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Emerson opens his essay with three epigraphs that preview the theme of self-reliance in the essay. He then 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. According to Emerson, we should prize these flashes of individual insight even more than those of famous writers and philosophers; it is the mature thinker who eventually realizes that originality of thought, rather than imitation of what everyone else believes, is the way to greatness.

Emerson then argues that the most important realization any individual can have is that they should trust themselves above all others. Babies, children, and even animals are intuitively aware of this fact, according to Emerson, and so are worthy of imitation. Emerson sees self-reliance as a characteristic of boys, too, with their independent attitudes, lack of respect for authority, and willingness to pass judgment on everything they encounter.

Emerson then shifts to a discussion of the relationship between the individual and society by noting that when we are alone, we can be like babies or children, but when we get out into the world, that little voice inside that carries our truth slips away. Emerson argues that people must embrace nonconformity to recover their self-reliance, even if doing so requires the individual to reject what most people believe is goodness. Emerson believes that there is a better kind of virtue than the opinions of respected people or demands for charity for the needy. This goodness comes from the individual’s own intuition, and not what is visible to society.

Besides, states Emerson, living according to the world’s notion of goodness seems easy, and living according to one’s own notions of goodness is easy in solitude, but it takes a truly brave person to live out one’s own notions of goodness in the face of pressure from society. Although it might seem easier to just go along with the demands of society, it is harder because it scatters one’s force. Aware that being a nonconformist is easier argued than lived, Emerson warns that the individual should be prepared for disapproval from people high and low once he or she finally refuses to conform to society’s dictates. It will be easy to brush off the polite disapproval of cultivated people, but the loud and rough disapproval of common people, the mob, will require all of the individual’s inner resources to face down.

The other thing Emerson sees as a roadblock to the would-be nonconformist is the world’s obsession with consistency. Really though, he argues, why should you be bound at all by your past actions or fear contradicting yourself? Emerson notes that society has made inconsistency into a devil, and the result is small-mindedness. He uses historical and religious examples to point out that every great person we have ever known refused to be bound by the past. If you want to be great, he says, embrace being misunderstood just like them. Emerson argues that the individual should have faith that inconsistency is an appearance only, 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.

Given his arguments in the first part of the essay, Emerson hopes by now that everyone realizes how ridiculous conformity is and the negative impact it is having on American culture. 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 that his society has lost all sense of what it means to be self-reliant individuals. He describes his historical moment as a weak one that has birthed no great people, and city boys seeking professions quit as soon as they are confronted with an initial failure. Emerson admires the country boy who tries thing after thing, not at all concerned about any failure or conforming to society; these are the kinds of people Emerson believes will make America’s history. If the individual wants to achieve true virtue, Emerson argues, they must go to war against anything that oppresses their sense of individuality, even if people accuse them of gross immorality as a result. Taking care to meet their idea of their duties to loved ones or even to themselves will vindicate them and maybe even bring people around to their way of seeing. Ultimately, Emerson believes that living in this state of war against society is actually true virtue.

Emerson closes his essay by applying the abstract concept of self-reliance to specifics. He believes that self-reliance can revolutionize every part of society if we let it: We should quit praying for something outside of ourselves to save us and instead act. We should quit subordinating our experiences to religions and philosophies and instead listen to our intuition. Emerson argues that Americans especially should stop traveling abroad to become cultured and instead create their own arts, literature, and culture using the materials we find right here at home. Emerson believes that progress is beside the point: we should quit pushing for it because it only saps our strength; society does not progress in a straight line. Emerson argues that people should stop locating their identities in property and instead understand that the most valuable part of a man is inside of 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 concludes by noting that self-reliance is the true path to peace.

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The essay on self-reliance

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Emerson's Essays

• Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Updated: June 24, 2023
• Updated: January 15, 2022

About Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts, and died April 27, 1882 in Concord, Massachusetts. Emerson was best known as an American Transcendentalist poet, philosopher, and essayist and lived during the 19th century in the United States. Emerson's original profession and calling was as a Unitarian minister, but he left the ministry to pursue a career in writing and public speaking. He was also a leading exponent of New England Transcendentalism.

Emerson is cited often by the Oxford University Press, New York Columbia University Press, and Harvard University, Cambridge University Press, University of California Press, and he became one of America's best-known and best-loved 19th-century figures.

Learn More About Emerson

Text & Quotes of Emerson

Learn from one of the greatest writers and poets in American history. His most famous work, Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance can truly change your life for the better.

Other famous works are The American Scholar summary, The Lord's Supper , Nature , St. Augustine Confessions , Harvard Divinity School Address , English Traits , Representative Men , and his collection of poems.

Essays First Series Essays Second Series

Discussion on Emerson

From these pages, open discussions on Emerson, his work, his life, and how you can improve yours from this beloved author and poet.

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Self-Reliance

Throughout his life, Ralph Waldo Emerson kept detailed journals of his thoughts and actions, and he returned to them as a source for many of his essays. Self-reliance is all that it sounds like plus considerably more. Learn from one of the greatest writers and poets in American history. His most famous work, Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance can truly change your life for the better.

More About Self-Reliance

What is Ralph Waldo Emerson's most famous quote?

Ralph Waldo Emerson is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American literary history. He was a philosopher, essayist, and poet who lived during the 19th century. His most famous quote is " Self-reliance is the foundation of a prosperous society." This quote is often cited as a cornerstone of Emerson's philosophy, which emphasized individualism, self-sufficiency, and the importance of following one's own path in life. This message continues to inspire and resonate with people around the world, making it one of the most enduring and memorable quotes in American literary history.

What is Emerson's most famous essay?

Ralph Waldo Emerson is most famous for his essay " Self-Reliance. " This essay, first published in 1841, outlines Emerson's philosophy of individualism and self-reliance, and it remains one of his most widely read and influential works. In " Self-Reliance ," Emerson argues that people should trust their own instincts and ideas, rather than blindly following the opinions and beliefs of others. He writes that people should cultivate their own inner voice, and that this inner voice is the key to true happiness and fulfillment. The essay is considered a classic of American literature, and its message continues to be relevant and inspiring to people around the world.

What are Ralph Waldo Emerson's most famous poems?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a renowned poet and writer, and several of his poems have become well-known and widely celebrated. Some of his most famous poems include " Concord Hymn ," which he wrote to commemorate the Battle of Concord during the American Revolution, " Each and All ," a meditation on the interconnections between all things, and " Brahma ," a celebration of the unity of all things in the universe. Emerson's poetry is characterized by its use of rich and descriptive language, its philosophical themes, and its focus on individualism and self-reliance . His poems remain popular and widely read today, and they continue to inspire and influence people around the world.

What inspired Ralph Waldo Emerson to write?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was inspired to write by a variety of factors, including his experiences as a young man, his philosophical beliefs, and his interest in exploring the relationship between the individual and society. One of the most significant influences on Emerson's writing was his growing sense of disillusionment with traditional religious and cultural institutions. He saw these institutions as stifling and oppressive, and he felt that people were being denied the freedom to think and act for themselves. In response to this, Emerson began to develop a philosophy of individualism and self-reliance , and he sought to share this philosophy through his writing. Through his essays, poems, and lectures, he sought to inspire others to embrace their own inner voice and to live their lives according to their own values and beliefs.

What influenced Ralph Waldo Emerson?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was influenced by a wide range of factors, including his personal experiences, philosophical ideas, and cultural and historical events. Some of the most significant influences on his work include his exposure to the ideas of Transcendentalism, a philosophical and cultural movement that sought to bridge the gap between the individual and the divine. He was also inspired by his travels in Europe, where he was exposed to the works of leading European philosophers and poets. Additionally, Emerson was deeply influenced by the religious and cultural institutions of his time, and he sought to challenge and reject many of the traditions and beliefs that he saw as stifling and oppressive. These various influences helped shape his unique philosophy of individualism and self-reliance , which he sought to share with others through his writing.

What are 3 significant things about Emerson?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a highly influential figure in American literary and cultural history. Here are three significant things about him:

Philosophical Thought: Emerson was a central figure in the Transcendentalist movement, which emphasized the importance of individual experience and the power of the human spirit to understand the world. His writing reflects these beliefs and encourages readers to trust their own instincts and ideas.

Literary Legacy: Emerson was a prolific writer, producing a large body of work that includes essays, poems, and lectures. His writing remains widely read and highly regarded today, and he is considered one of the most important American writers of the 19th century.

Cultural Influence: Beyond his literary achievements, Emerson also had a significant impact on American culture. His ideas about individualism and self-reliance have been widely influential, and they continue to shape our understanding of American values and ideals. Additionally, he was a prominent public speaker and a leading figure in the intellectual and cultural life of his time.

What is Ralph Emerson's motto?

Ralph Waldo Emerson's motto, or personal philosophy, can be best summed up by his famous quote, " Self-reliance is the foundation of a prosperous society." This quote reflects Emerson's belief in the importance of individualism and self-reliance, and it encapsulates the central themes that he explored in his writing. In Emerson's view, people should trust their own instincts and ideas, rather than blindly following the opinions and beliefs of others. He believed that this inner voice is the key to true happiness and fulfillment, and that it is the foundation of a prosperous and harmonious society. This message continues to inspire and resonate with people around the world, and it remains one of Emerson's most enduring and memorable contributions to American literary and cultural history.

What is Ralph Waldo Emerson most known for?

Ralph Waldo Emerson is most widely known for his contributions to American literature and cultural history as a writer, poet, and philosopher. He is considered one of the most important American writers of the 19th century, and his essays, poems, and lectures have had a profound impact on American intellectual and cultural life. Emerson is best known for his philosophy of individualism and self-reliance, which he expounded upon in works such as " Self-Reliance " and " Nature ." These works argue that people should trust their own instincts and ideas, and that this inner voice is the key to true happiness and fulfillment. Through his writing, Emerson sought to inspire others to embrace their own individuality and to live their lives according to their own values and beliefs. His legacy continues to be celebrated and studied today, and he remains one of the most widely read and influential writers in American literary history.

What type of people did Emerson gather around him?

Throughout his life, Ralph Waldo Emerson was associated with a wide-ranging group of people from various walks of life and intellectual disciplines. Some of the individuals who gathered around him included fellow writers, poets, philosophers, and artists, as well as intellectuals, reformers, and political activists. These individuals were drawn to Emerson's ideas about individualism and self-reliance , and many of them were influenced by his philosophy in their own work.

What is Emerson's theory?

Ralph Waldo Emerson is best known for his theory of individualism and self-reliance , which he expounded upon in his essays, poems, and lectures. At its core, this theory holds that people should trust their own instincts and ideas, rather than blindly following the opinions and beliefs of others.

According to Emerson, the inner voice is the key to true happiness and fulfillment, and it should be the guiding force in people's lives. His theory of individualism and self-reliance continues to be widely studied and celebrated today, and it remains one of his most enduring contributions to American literary and cultural history.

What type of poetry is Ralph Waldo Emerson known for?

Ralph Waldo Emerson is best known for his contributions to American literature as an essayist and philosopher, but he also wrote several influential works of poetry. He is particularly known for his lyrical and contemplative poems that reflect his philosophy of individualism and self-reliance .

Emerson's poetry is characterized by its focus on nature, spirituality, and the human experience, and it often explores the relationship between the self and the universe. His poems are notable for their vivid and evocative language, their spiritual themes, and their celebration of individual freedom and self-expression.

Some of Emerson's most famous poems include "Each and All," "The Rhodora," "Concord Hymn," and "Brahma." These works continue to be widely read and celebrated today, and they remain an important part of American literary and cultural history. Through his poetry, Emerson sought to inspire others to embrace their own individuality and to find their own path to happiness and fulfillment.

Why was Ralph Waldo Emerson important to Transcendentalism?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a key figure in the Transcendentalist movement, which was a major intellectual and cultural movement that emerged in New England in the early 19th century. Transcendentalism was characterized by a focus on individualism, self-reliance, and the power of the individual spirit, and it sought to challenge traditional religious, social, and political beliefs and institutions.

Emerson was one of the leading voices of the movement, and he was known for his essays, poems, and lectures, which expounded upon his ideas about individualism, self-reliance, and the power of the individual spirit. Through his writing and speaking, he sought to inspire others to embrace their own individuality and to live their lives according to their own values and beliefs.

Emerson's contributions to Transcendentalism were significant, as he helped to define the movement and to shape its intellectual and cultural influence. He was a major influence on other leading Transcendentalists , such as Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Bronson Alcott, and his ideas and writings continue to be widely studied and celebrated today.

Overall, Ralph Waldo Emerson's contributions to Transcendentalism were essential in shaping the movement's intellectual and cultural impact, and he remains one of the most important and influential figures in American literary and cultural history.

Popular Collections

Lectures / Biographies

This section includes the lectures given by Ralph Waldo Emerson and also includes various biographies on his life and those close to Emerson. The Sovereignty of Ethics and Mary Moody Emerson are included.

More Lectures

Early Emerson Poems

This section covers poems written early in Emerson’s career which some are not widely known. Fifty poems are available, including The Rhodora.

Uncollected Prose

This is a collection of writings, addresses, essays, and reviews by Emerson. Included are his famous works, The Last Supper.

The section does not cover the history and life of Emerson and his writings, but rather his work entitled “History.”

More About Histroy

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"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." That quote has been inspirational to me and my business. I've taken risks and fallen, but I always get back up stronger than before. Matt Gallant BiOptimizers

The wisdom that is Emerson has been a strong impact on my career and in my roles as a father and husband. His advice is timeless. "Self Reliance" was the first work of Emerson's that I read and I still read it every year. Ron Halversen

I read Emerson's Self Reliance as a teen for English class. It didn't click for me at the time, but as I got older I found myself remembering bits and pieces. It's been a sort of backbone to my adult life that I've returned to again and again when I needed (self) guidance. Melissa Anderson

I recently attended an important dinner meeting with a potential new client. I reminded myself to be calm, watch my non-verbal cues and maintain eye contact. I learned these important items when reading Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The Conduct of Life". The essay emphasized the importance of "Behavior" and to celebrate "the wonderful expressiveness of the human body". Heather Paige Diet Food Delivery Service

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." To think Emerson uttered these words nearly two centuries ago and yet it is the perfect advice for today's youth." Alyssa Gonzalez TLC Graduate Credits

Emerson's advice, "Every man is a consumer, and ought to be a producer," is even more important in today's wealth-driven economy. Being a producer ensures your family's security and comfort even after you are gone." Ashley Haigh Carpet Tiles UK

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Every business owner would be wise to heed Emerson's words." Caleb Hunter PuppyWire

There is no human alive could not appreciate the magnitude of living life free from all that we tightly wind ourselves. This freedom comes from the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Mark Mason Mark Mason

What I remember most about Emerson is he said not to worry about what has happened in the past, or what may happen in the future, but focus on that which dwells deep within you. Derek Mills Shoptimized

A year has not gone by since I left college that I have not read Emerson’s essay, Self Reliance. I have instilled Emerson’s wisdom on my daughter, family, and friends. Jeff Greenfield JeffGreenfield.com

My grandfather told me when I was young that instead of following the path of others, I should go where my heart took me. For me to leave a trail for others to follow. I learned years later it was a quote from Emerson. Todd Chism

People Influenced By Emerson

Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, a poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian. His well-known essays were Civil Disobedience and Life Without Principle.

Amos Bronson Alcott

Amos Bronson Alcott (1799–1888) was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As a key figure in the transcendentalist movement, his work and ideas were deeply interwoven with the broader currents of 19th-century American intellectual and social life. Born in Wolcott, Connecticut, Alcott pursued education and self-improvement with a passion that would define much of his life and career. Alcott’s educational philosophy was progressive and innovative. He advocated for a model of education that emphasized personal growth, moral development, and the cultivation of the imagination rather than rote memorization or strict discipline. This led him to found the Temple School in Boston, where he implemented his ideas. Although the school…

Stanley Cavell

Stanley Cavell (1926–2018) was an American philosopher renowned for his work in aesthetics, ethics, and the philosophy of language and for his contributions to the interpretation of Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Thoreau. Cavell’s academic career was primarily associated with Harvard University, where he taught for over three decades and impacted contemporary American philosophy. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Cavell was raised in Sacramento, California. He pursued an undergraduate degree in music at the University of California, Berkeley, before shifting his focus to philosophy, where he found his true calling. Cavell earned his Ph.D. from Harvard, later joining the faculty, influencing generations of students and scholars through his teaching and writing. Cavell’s philosophical…

Ellen Louisa Tucker

Ellen Louisa Tucker (1811–1831) was not a public figure or philosopher in her own right but is remembered primarily for her profound influence on Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American transcendentalist philosopher, essayist, and poet. Born in Concord, New Hampshire, Ellen was known for her beauty, vivacity, and profoundly religious nature. Her life was tragically short, but her impact, particularly on Emerson, was significant and enduring. Ellen and Emerson’s relationship began in 1827, culminating in their marriage in 1829 when Ellen was just 18 years old. Their time together was brief, as Ellen suffered from tuberculosis and died less than two years after their marriage, in February 1831, at the age…

Margaret Fuller

Margaret Fuller was a women’s rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movement. She was also an American journalist. Her given name was Sarah Margaret Fuller Ossoli.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, poet, philologist, and a profound influencer of modern intellectual thought. His work is known for its radical questioning of the value and objectivity of truth, its critique of religion and morality as understood in the traditional sense, and its exploration of the concept of the “will to power.” Nietzsche’s philosophy delves into the complexities of existence, the nature of power, and the potential for individual transcendence by creating one’s own values instead of relying on the values of others. Key works of Nietzsche include “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” (1883-1885), a philosophical novel that introduces the idea of the Übermensch, or “Overman,” as…

Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian, and teacher during the Victorian era. Known for his sharp critique of democracy, industrialization, and the spiritual malaise of his time, Carlyle became one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. His work is characterized by a profound, often pessimistic, reflection on society and a strong advocacy for heroic leadership and individual moral integrity. Carlyle’s significant contributions include his essay “Sartor Resartus” (1833-1834), a satirical work that presents a philosophy of clothes as a metaphor for the human condition and societal values. His magnum opus, “The French Revolution: A History” (1837), is a dramatic and detailed account…

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Ralph Waldo Emerson was born

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 25, 1803.

The American Scholar

'The American Scholar' was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837.

The Harvard Divinity School Address

Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered this speech before the Senior Class in Divinity College, Cambridge in July 15, 1838.

The Over Soul

There is a difference between one and another hour of life, in their authority and subsequent effect.

Those who are esteemed umpires of taste, are often persons knowledge of admired pictures or sculptures.

Nominalist and Realist

I cannot often enough say, that a man is only a relative and representative nature. Each is a hint of the truth.

Ruth Haskins Emerson

The mother of Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on 9 Nov 1768 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Lidian Jackson Emerson

She was the second wife of Ralph Waldo Emerson, America's best known and best-loved essayist, lecturer, poet in 19th-century.

The Harvard University Press

Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, History, Biography, Nature, Addresses, and Lectures

Princeton University Press

Princeton University Press published a book on Ralph Waldo Emerson named Emerson: The Roots of Prophecy.

University of Chicago Press

University of Chicago Press published a journal -Rethinking Self-Reliance: Emerson on Mobbing, War, and Abolition.

Boston Public Latin School

Ralph Waldo Emerson received his early education at home would serve him well in school.

Edward Waldo Emerson

(1844-1930) Was a physician, writer, and lecturer. Lived in Concord, Massachusetts most of his life. Was the youngest son of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Lydian Jackson Emerson (second wife). Educated at Harvard and graduated in 1866. He went to Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1874. His medical practice was in Concord until 1882 when his inheritance was delivered and decided to retire.

Ralph Waldo Emerson - American author, poet, philospher, and essayist, This site is dedicated to the memory of my late father, Emerson West, who was named after Ralph Waldo Emerson. The man I am today reflects the influence of my father and the life teachings of Emerson.

Research the collective works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Read More Essay

Emerson's most famous work that can truly change your life. Check it out

America's best known and best-loved poems. More Poems