self reliance essay by ralph waldo emerson

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.

You can read ‘Self-Reliance’ here before proceeding to our summary and analysis of Emerson’s essay below.

‘Self-Reliance’: summary

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.

‘Self-Reliance’: analysis

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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Self-Reliance

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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.

• Emerson's Essays

Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Literature Notes
• About Self-Reliance
• Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography
• Summary and Analysis of Nature
• About Nature
• Introduction
• Summary and Analysis of The American Scholar
• About The American Scholar
• Paragraphs 1-7
• Paragraphs 8-9
• Paragraphs 10-20
• Paragraphs 21-30
• Paragraphs 31-45
• Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul
• About The Over-Soul
• Paragraphs 1-3
• Paragraphs 4-10
• Paragraphs 11-15
• Paragraphs 16-21
• Paragraphs 22-30
• Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance
• Paragraphs 1-17
• Paragraphs 18-32
• Paragraphs 33-50
• Summary and Analysis of The Transcendentalist
• About The Transcendentalist
• Paragraphs 1-5
• Paragraphs 6-14
• Paragraphs 15-30
• Summary and Analysis of The Poet
• About The Poet
• Paragraphs 1-9
• Paragraphs 10-18
• Paragraphs 19-29
• Paragraphs 30-33
• Critical Essays
• Understanding Transcendentalism
• Emerson Unitarianism, and the God Within
• Emerson's Use of Metaphor
• Full Glossary for Emerson's Essays
• Essay Questions
• Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance About Self-Reliance

Published first in 1841 in Essays and then in the 1847 revised edition of Essays , "Self-Reliance" took shape over a long period of time. Throughout his life, Emerson kept detailed journals of his thoughts and actions, and he returned to them as a source for many of his essays. Such is the case with "Self-Reliance," which includes materials from journal entries dating as far back as 1832. In addition to his journals, Emerson drew on various lectures he delivered between 1836 and 1839.

The first edition of the essay bore three epigraphs: a Latin line, meaning "Do not seek outside yourself"; a six-line stanza from Beaumont and Fletcher's Honest Man's Fortune ; and a four-line stanza that Emerson himself wrote. Emerson dropped his stanza from the revised edition of the essay, but modern editors have since restored it. All three epigraphs stress the necessity of relying on oneself for knowledge and guidance.

The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity.

Because the essay does not have internally marked divisions delineating its three major sections, readers should number each paragraph in pencil as this discussion will make reference to them.

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• The Waldo Emerson Essay 1. The Value of Barriers to Self-Reliance 2. Self-Reliance and the Individual 3. Self-Reliance and Society
• Twelve essays by Jessica Helfand On Learning On Gravity On Closure On Loneliness On Character On Uncertainty On Magnanimity On Love On Alchemy On Chance On Authenticity On Individualism On Narrative.
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Individualism in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”

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Advisor: Charles Capper, Professor of History, Boston University; National Humanities Center Fellow Copyright National Humanities Center, 2014

Lesson Contents

Teacher’s note.

• Text Analysis & Close Reading Questions

Follow-Up Assignment

• Student Version PDF

In his essay “Self-Reliance,” how does Ralph Waldo Emerson define individualism, and how, in his view, can it affect society?

Understanding.

In “Self-Reliance” Emerson defines individualism as a profound and unshakeable trust in one’s own intuitions. Embracing this view of individualism, he asserts, can revolutionize society, not through a sweeping mass movement, but through the transformation of one life at a time and through the creation of leaders capable of greatness.

Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1878

Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance” , 1841.

Essay, Literary nonfiction.

Text Complexity

Grade 11-CCR complexity band. For more information on text complexity see these resources from achievethecore.org .

In the Text Analysis section, Tier 2 vocabulary words are defined in pop-ups, and Tier 3 words are explained in brackets.

Click here for standards and skills for this lesson.

Common Core State Standards

• ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4 (Determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases.)
• ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 (Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as drawing inferences.)

Advanced Placement US History

• Key Concept 4.1 – II.A. (…Romantic beliefs in human perfectibility fostered the rise of voluntary organizations to promote religious and secular reforms…)
• Key Concept 4.1 – III.A. (A new national culture emerged…that combined European forms with local and regional cultural sensibilities.)
• Skill Type III: Skill 7 (Analyze features of historical evidence such as audience, purpose, point of view…)

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

• Reading nonfiction
• Evaluating, using, and citing primary sources
• Writing in several forms about a variety of subjects

“Self-Reliance” is central to understanding Emerson’s thought, but it can be difficult to teach because of its vocabulary and sentence structure. This lesson offers a thorough exploration of the essay. The text analysis focuses on Emerson’s definition of individualism, his analysis of society, and the way he believes his version of individualism can transform — indeed, save — American society.

The first interactive exercise, well-suited for individual or small group work, presents some of Emerson’s more famous aphorisms as tweets from Dr. Ralph, a nineteenth-century self-help guru, and asks students to interpret and paraphrase them. The second invites students to consider whether they would embrace Dr. Ralph’s vision of life. It explores paragraph 7, the most well-developed in the essay and the only one that shows Emerson interacting with other people to any substantial degree. The exercise is designed to raise questions about the implications of Emersonian self-reliance for one’s relations with others, including family, friends, and the broader society. The excerpt illustrates critic’s Louis Menand’s contention, cited in the background note, that Emerson’s essays, although generally taken as affirmations, are “deeply unconsoling.”

This lesson is divided into two parts, both accessible below. The teacher’s guide includes a background note, the text analysis with responses to the close reading questions, access to the interactive exercises, and a follow-up assignment. The student’s version, an interactive worksheet that can be e-mailed, contains all of the above except the responses to the close reading questions.

Teacher’s Guide

Background questions.

• What kind of text are we dealing with?
• For what audience was it intended?
• For what purpose was it written?
• When was it written?
• What was going on at the time of its writing that might have influenced its composition?

Ralph Waldo Emerson died in 1882, but he is still very much with us. When you hear people assert their individualism, perhaps in rejecting help from the government or anyone else, you hear the voice of Emerson. When you hear a self-help guru on TV tell people that if they change their way of thinking, they will change reality, you hear the voice of Emerson. He is America’s apostle of individualism, our champion of mind over matter, and he set forth the core of his thinking in his essay “Self-Reliance” (1841).

While they influence us today, Emerson’s ideas grew out of a specific time and place, which spawned a philosophical movement called Transcendentalism. “Self-Reliance” asserts a central belief in that philosophy: truth lies in our spontaneous, involuntary intuitions. We do not have the space here to explain Transcendentalism fully, but we can sketch some out its fundamental convictions, a bit of its historical context, and the way “Self-Reliance” relates to it.

By the 1830s many in New England, especially the young, felt that the religion they had inherited from their Puritan ancestors had become cold and impersonal. In their view it lacked emotion and failed to foster that sense of connectedness to the divine which they sought in religion. To them it seemed that the church had taken its eyes off heaven and fixed them on the material world, which under the probings, measurements, and observations of science seemed less and less to offer assurance of divine presence in the world.

Taking direction from ancient Greek philosophy and European thinking, a small group of New England intellectuals embraced the idea that men and women did not need churches to connect with divinity and that nature, far from being without spiritual meaning, was, in fact, a realm of symbols that pointed to divine truths. According to these preachers and writers, we could connect with divinity and understand those symbols — that is to say, transcend or rise above the material world — simply by accepting our own intuitions about God, nature, and experience. These insights, they argued, needed no external verification; the mere fact that they flashed across the mind proved they were true.

To hold these beliefs required enormous self-confidence, of course, and this is where Emerson and “Self-Reliance” come into the picture. He contends that there is within each of us an “aboriginal Self,” a first or ground-floor self beyond which there is no other. In “Self-Reliance” he defines it in mystical terms as the “deep force” through which we “share the life by which things exist.” It is “the fountain of action and thought,” the source of our spontaneous intuitions. This self defines not a particular, individual identity but a universal, human identity. When our insights derive from it, they are valid not only for us but for all humankind. Thus we can be assured that what is true in our private hearts is, as Emerson asserts, “true for all men.”*

But how can we tell if our intuitions come from the “aboriginal Self” and are, therefore, true? We cannot. Emerson says we must have the self-trust to believe that they do and follow them as if they do. If, indeed, they are true, eventually everyone will accept them, and they will be “rendered back to us” as “the universal sense.”

Daguerrotype of Ralph Waldo Emerson

While “Self-Reliance” deals extensively with theological matters, we cannot overlook its political significance. It appeared in 1841, just four years after President Andrew Jackson left office. In the election of 1828 Jackson forged an alliance among the woodsmen and farmers of the western frontier and the laborers of eastern cities. (See the America in Class® lesson “The Expansion of Democracy during the Jacksonian Era.” ) Emerson opposed the Jacksonians over specific policies, chiefly their defense of slavery and their support for the expulsion of Indians from their territories. But he objected to them on broader grounds as well. Many people like Emerson, who despite his noncomformist thought still held many of the political views of the old New England elite from which he sprang, feared that the rise of the Jacksonian electorate would turn American democracy into mob rule. In fact, at one point in “Self-Reliance” he proclaims “now we are a mob.” When you see the word “mob” here, do not picture a large, threatening crowd. Instead, think of what we today would call mass society, a society whose culture and politics are shaped not by the tastes and opinions of a small, narrow elite but rather by those of a broad, diverse population.

Emerson opposed mass-party politics because it was based on nothing more than numbers and majority rule, and he was hostile to mass culture because it was based on manufactured entertainments. Both, he believed, distracted people from the real questions of spiritual health and social justice. Like some critics today, he believed that mass society breeds intellectual mediocrity and conformity. He argued that it produces soft, weak men and women, more prone to whine and whimper than to embrace great challenges. Emerson took as his mission the task of lifting people out of the mass and turning them into robust, sturdy individuals who could face life with confidence. While he held out the possibility of such transcendence to all Americans, he knew that not all would respond. He assured those who did that they would achieve greatness and become “guides, redeemers, and benefactors” whose personal transformations and leadership would rescue democracy. Thus if “Self-Reliance” is a pep talk in support for nonconformists, it is also a manual on how to live for those who seek to be individuals in a mass society.

Describing “Self-Reliance” as a pep talk and a manual re-enforces the way most people have read the essay, as a work of affirmation and uplift, and there is much that is affirmative and uplifting in it. Yet a careful reading also reveals a darker side to Emerson’s self-reliance. His uncompromising embrace of nonconformity and intellectual integrity can breed a chilly arrogance, a lack of compassion, and a lonely isolation. That is why one critic has called Emerson’s work “deeply unconsoling.” 1 In this lesson we explore this side of Emerson along with his bracing optimism.

A word about our presentation. Because readers can take “Self-Reliance” as an advice manual for living and because Emerson was above all a teacher, we found it engaging to cast him not as Ralph Waldo Emerson, a nineteenth-century philosopher, but as Dr. Ralph, a twenty-first-century self-help guru. In the end we ask if you would embrace his approach to life and sign up for his tweets.

*Teacher’s Note: For a more detailed discussion of the “aboriginal Self,” see pp. 65-67 in Lawrence Buell’s Emerson .

1. Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club (New York; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2001) p. 18. ↩

Text Analysis

Paragraph 1, close reading questions.

What is important about the verses written by the painter in sentence 1? They “were original and not conventional.”

From evidence in this paragraph, what do you think Emerson means by “original”? He defines “original” in sentence 6 when he says that we value the work of Moses, Plato, and Milton because they said not what others have thought, but what they thought.

In sentences 2 and 3 how does Emerson suggest we should read an “original” work? He suggests that we should read it with our souls. We should respond more to the sentiment of the work rather than to its explicit content.

In telling us how to read an original work, what do you think Emerson is telling us about reading his work? In sentences 2 and 3 Emerson is telling us how to read “Self-Reliance” and his work in general. We should attend more to its sentiment, its emotional impact, rather than to the thought it may contain. The reason for this advice will become apparent as we discover that Emerson’s essays are more collections of inspirational, emotionally charged sentences than logical arguments.

How does Emerson define genius? He defines it as possessing the confident belief that what is true for you is true for all people.

Considering this definition of genius, what does Emerson mean when he says that “the inmost in due time becomes the outmost”? Since the private or “inmost” truth we discover in our hearts is true for all men and women, it will eventually be “rendered back to us,” proclaimed, as an “outmost” or public truth.

Why, according to Emerson, do we value Moses, Plato, and Milton? We value them because they ignored the wisdom of the past (books and traditions) and spoke not what others thought but what they thought, the “inmost” truth they discovered in their own hearts. They are great because they transformed their “inmost” truth to “outmost” truth.

Thus far Emerson has said that we should seek truth by looking into our own hearts and that we, like such great thinkers as Moses, Plato, and Milton, should ignore what we find in books and in the learning of the past. What implications does his advice hold for education? It diminishes the importance of education and suggests that formal education may actually get in the way of our search for knowledge and truth.

Why then should we bother to study “great works of art” or even “Self-Reliance” for that matter? Because great works of art “teach us to abide by our spontaneous impressions.” And that is, of course, precisely what “Self-Reliance” is doing. Both they and this essay reassure us that our “latent convictions” are, indeed, “universal sense.” They strengthen our ability to maintain our individualism in the face of “the whole cry of voices” who oppose us “on the other side.”

Based on your reading of paragraph 1, how does Emerson define individualism? Support your answer with reference to specific sentences. Emerson defines individualism as a profound and unshakeable trust in one’s own intuitions. Just about any sentence from 4 through 11 could be cited as support.

Paragraph 34 (excerpt)

Note: Every good self-help guru offers advice on how to handle failure, and in the excerpt from paragraph 35 Dr. Ralph does that by describing his ideal of a self-reliant young man. Here we see Dr. Ralph at perhaps his most affirmative, telling his followers what self-reliance can do for them. Before he does that, however, he offers, in paragraph 34, his diagnosis of American society in 1841. The example of his “sturdy lad” in paragraph 35 suggests what self-reliance can do for society, a theme he picks up in paragraph 36.

What, according to Emerson, is wrong with the “social state” of America in 1841? Americans have become weak, shy, and fearful, an indication of its true problem: it is no longer capable of producing “great and perfect persons.”

Given the political context in which he wrote “Self-Reliance,” why might Emerson think that American society was no longer capable of producing “great and perfect persons”? In Emerson’s view, by giving power to the “mob,” Jacksonian democracy weakened American culture and gave rise to social and personal mediocrity.

Paragraph 35 (excerpt)

What does Emerson mean by “miscarry”? What context clues help us discover that meaning? Here “miscarry” means “to fail.” We can see that by noting the parallel structure of the first two sentences. Emerson parallels “miscarry” and “fails” by placing them in the same position in the first two sentences: “If our young men miscarry…” “If the young merchant fails,…”

What is the relationship between the young men who miscarry and the young merchants who fail in paragraph 35 and the “timorous, desponding whimperers” of paragraph 34? They are the same. The young failures illustrate the point Emerson makes in the previous paragraph about the weakness of America and its citizens.

According to Emerson, how does an “un-self-reliant” person respond to failure? He despairs and becomes weak. He loses “loses heart” and feels “ruined.” He falls into self-pity and complains for years.

Emerson structures this paragraph as a comparison between a “city doll” and a “sturdy lad.” With reference to paragraph 34 what does the “sturdy lad” represent? He represents the kind of person Emerson wants to create, the kind of person who will “renovate” America’s “life and social state.”

What are the connotations of “city doll”? The term suggests weakness with a hint of effeminacy.

Compare a “city doll” with a “sturdy lad.” City Doll: defeated by failure, urban, narrows his options by studying for a profession, learns from books, postpones life, lacks confidence and self-trust. Sturdy Lad: resilient, rural, at least expert in rural skills, “teams it, farms it”, realizes he has many options and takes advantage of them, learns from experience, engages life, possesses confidence, trusts himself.

What point does Emerson make with this comparison? Here Emerson is actually trying to persuade his readers to embrace his version of self-reliance. His comparison casts the “sturdy lad” in a positive light. We want to be like him, not like a “city doll.” Emerson suggests that, through the sort of men and women exemplified by the “sturdy lad,” self-reliance will rescue American life and society from weakness, despair, and defeat and restore its capacity for greatness.

What do you notice about the progression of the jobs Emerson assigns to his “sturdy lad”? They ascend in wealth, prestige, and influence from plow hand to member of Congress.

We have seen that Emerson hopes to raise above the mob people who will themselves be “great and perfect persons” and restore America’s ability to produce such people. What does the progression of jobs he assigns to the “sturdy lad” suggest about the roles these people will play in American society? As teachers, preachers, editors, congressmen, and land owners, they will be the leaders and opinion makers of American society. [1] If our young men miscarry in their first enterprises, they lose all heart. If the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined. [2] If the finest genius studies at one of our colleges, and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of Boston or New York, it seems to his friends and to himself that he is right in being disheartened, and in complaining the rest of his life. [3] A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township,* and so forth, in successive years, and always, like a cat, falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. [4] He walks abreast with his days, and feels no shame in not ‘studying a profession,’ for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. He has not one chance, but a hundred chances.

*Emerson does not mean that the “sturdy lad” would buy a town. He probably means that he would buy a large piece of uninhabited land (townships in New England were six miles square). The point here is that he would become a substantial landowner.

Paragraph 36

In a well organized essay explain what society would be like if everyone embraced Emerson’s idea of self-reliance. Your analysis should focus on Emerson’s attitudes toward law, the family, and education. Be sure to use specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Vocabulary Pop-Ups

• admonition: gentle, friendly criticism
• latent: hidden
• naught: ignored
• lustre: brightness
• firmament: sky
• bards: poets
• sages: wise men and women
• alienated: made unfamiliar by being separated from us
• else: otherwise
• sinew: connective tissues
• timorous: shy
• desponding: discouraging
• renovate: change
• miscarry: fail
• modes: styles
• speculative: theoretical
• Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson engraved and published by Stephen A. Schoff, Newtonville, Massachusetts, 1878, from an original drawing by Samuel W. Rowse [ca. 1858] in the possession of Charles Eliot Norton. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-pga-04133.
• Daguerreotype of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 4 x 5 black-and-white negative, creator unknown. Courtesy of the Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

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Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Table of Contents

“Self-Reliance” is an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson and first published in 1841. It is one of the most influential works of American literature and is considered a foundational text of transcendentalism, a philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the 19th century.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- The essay emphasizes the importance of individualism and self-reliance in society. Emerson argues that individuals should trust their own intuition and beliefs rather than conforming to the expectations and opinions of others. He encourages people to embrace their unique perspectives and talents and to express themselves authentically.

Emerson criticizes societal institutions and traditions that stifle individuality and hinder personal growth. He calls for people to reject conformity and embrace nonconformity, urging them to listen to their inner voice and follow their own path.

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Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- According to Emerson, self-reliance involves relying on one’s own judgment and instincts rather than relying on external authorities or conventions. He encourages individuals to think for themselves, question established norms, and trust their own thoughts and experiences.

Emerson also discusses the concept of self-trust, which he considers crucial for self-reliance. He believes that individuals should have confidence in their own abilities and convictions, even if they go against the opinions of society. He argues that self-trust leads to self-confidence and personal growth.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- Throughout the essay, Emerson emphasizes the importance of individuality and the potential for greatness within each person. He believes that by embracing self-reliance, individuals can tap into their inner resources and achieve personal fulfillment and success.

In summary, “Self-Reliance” is an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson that advocates for the importance of individualism, self-reliance, and nonconformity. Emerson encourages individuals to trust their own judgment, embrace their unique perspectives, and reject societal expectations. He argues that self-reliance and self-trust are essential for personal growth and fulfillment.

About Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American essayist, philosopher, poet, and lecturer who is considered one of the most influential figures in American literature. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in a Unitarian family. Emerson’s father died when he was only eight years old, and he was raised by his mother and aunt.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- Emerson attended Harvard College, where he studied a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, literature, and science. After graduating, he became a minister and served as a pastor for several years. However, he eventually left the ministry to pursue a career as a writer and public speaker.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- Emerson was one of the leading figures of the transcendentalist movement, which emerged in the 19th century. Transcendentalism emphasized the importance of intuition, self-reliance, and the inherent goodness of humanity. Emerson’s writings and lectures embodied these ideals, and he became known for his philosophical essays that explored topics such as individualism, nature, and the relationship between the individual and society.

His most famous essay, “Self-Reliance,” along with other works such as “Nature,” “The American Scholar,” and “The Divinity School Address,” established him as a leading intellectual of his time. Emerson’s writing style was characterized by his poetic language, powerful imagery, and profound insights into human nature and the human experience.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- Emerson was also a mentor and friend to other notable figures of the time, including Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Walt Whitman. He continued to write and lecture throughout his life, covering a wide range of subjects such as philosophy, politics, and culture.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works had a significant impact on American literature and thought, and his ideas continue to resonate today. His emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and the power of nature has had a lasting influence on subsequent generations of writers, thinkers, and activists. Emerson’s legacy as a leading figure of American transcendentalism and his contributions to the development of American literature are widely recognized and celebrated.

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a powerful and influential essay that advocates for individualism, self-reliance, and nonconformity. Emerson’s message continues to resonate today, as he encourages individuals to trust their own judgment, embrace their unique perspectives, and reject societal expectations. 

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- By promoting self-trust and the importance of following one’s own path, Emerson’s essay inspires personal growth, self-confidence, and the pursuit of individual fulfillment. 

Self-Reliance Essays Summary By Ralph Waldo Emerson- “Self-Reliance” remains a foundational text of American literature and continues to offer valuable insights into the nature of the self and the pursuit of authenticity in our modern society.

Q: What is the main message of “Self-Reliance”? 

A: The main message of “Self-Reliance” is the importance of individualism, self-reliance, and nonconformity. Emerson urges individuals to trust their own judgment, embrace their unique perspectives, and reject societal expectations.

Q: When was “Self-Reliance” written? 

A: “Self-Reliance” was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson and was first published in 1841.

Q: What is transcendentalism? 

A: Transcendentalism is a philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the 19th century. It emphasizes the inherent goodness of humanity, the spiritual and intuitive aspects of knowledge, and the importance of individualism and self-reliance.

Q: Why does Emerson criticize societal institutions and traditions? 

A: Emerson criticizes societal institutions and traditions because he believes they stifle individuality and hinder personal growth. He encourages individuals to question established norms and trust their own thoughts and experiences.

Q: What does Emerson mean by self-trust?

A: Self-trust, according to Emerson, is having confidence in one’s own abilities and convictions, even if they go against the opinions of society. It is the belief in one’s own judgment and the willingness to follow one’s own path.

Q: How does “Self-Reliance” encourage personal growth? 

A: “Self-Reliance” encourages personal growth by urging individuals to tap into their inner resources, embrace their unique perspectives, and trust their own instincts. By doing so, individuals can achieve personal fulfillment and reach their full potential.

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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk (2015)

Overcoming trauma is a large part of the self-help scope, and Bessel van der Kolk’s book argues everyone must cope with it. He shares ways trauma has rewired our brains and explains how techniques such as neurofeedback, play and even yoga can help us recover.

This book is best for women struggling with past or recurring trauma. Bessel van der Kolk ’s The Body Keeps the Score is available from publisher Penguin Random House .

Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés (1996)

Another “oldie but goodie,” Women Who Run with the Wolves argues there’s a wild woman within every female, but society tries to silence her. The book explains how to reach a homeostasis where the wild female is acknowledged and encouraged in our modern world.

This book is best for women who feel squeezed by societal expectations. Clarissa Pinkola Estés ’s Women Who Run with the Wolves is available from publisher Penguin Random House .

Self-help author David Goggins, a U.S. Navy Seal, faces Mt. Whitney and the last 13 miles (21kms) of ... [+] the 135-mile Kiehl Badwater Ultramarathon, putting his advice into action.

The best self-help books for men explore mental and physical health as well as financial well-being. Many authors focus on advice versus unpacking what’s behind the problem. Men’s self-help books tend to break stereotypes that men only care about being perceived as strong and capable.

The Way of Men by Jack Donovan (2012)

What is masculinity, and why does it matter? Jack Donovan’s innovative exploration of perceptions of manhood and whether masculinity is in crisis is a compelling page-turner.

This book is best for men who want to explore masculinity’s roots. Jack Donovan ’s The Way of Men is available through his website .

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins (2018)

David Goggins went from overweight teen to the only man to ever complete training for Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, so clearly he has a lot to teach. He argues that we only use 40% of our capabilities and shows a way to tap more of our potential.

This book is best for men who want an inspiring, accomplished mentor. David Goggins ’s Can't Hurt Me is available from publisher Lioncrest Publishing .

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life ... And Maybe the World by William H. McRaven (2017)

Navy SEAL Admiral William H. McRaven’s viral commencement address at the University of Texas prompted this book, which details basic lessons that seem simple but can help you overcome the biggest problems in life.

This book is best for men dealing with hardship. William H. McRaven’s Make Your Bed is available from publisher Hachette Publishing Group .

Alok Vaid-Menon wrote one of the top self-help books for non-binary people.

In recent years, a new group of self-growth books have emerged for nonbinary people, those whose gender identity does not align with male or female. It can be reassuring to read other people’s insights and advice about coming out, navigating life as a trans person, and finding joy.

The Book of Non-binary Joy: Embracing the Power of You by Ben Pechey and Sam Prentice (2022)

Written with love and humor, The Book of Non-binary Joy encourages those exploring their gender identity to live as their authentic selves and answers a lot of questions about self-expression and coming to terms with your past self.

This book is best for those who’ve recently come out or are questioning their gender identity. Ben Pechey and Sam Prentice’s The Book of Non-binary Joy is available from publisher Jessica Kingsley Publishing .

Life Isn’t Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between by Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker (2020)

The world isn’t black and white, whether that’s in matters of morality, ethics or gender. This smart, insightful book looks at how we view ourselves and why thinking in a non-binary matter, about gender and other topics, can be a beneficial mindset shift.

This book is best for those who want to know more about non-binary identity. Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker’s Life Isn’t Binary is available from publisher Jessica Kingsley Publishing .

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon and illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky (2020)

Gender nonconforming artist Alok Vaid-Menon lives life in full color, in every respect of that phrase, and they encourage readers to do the same, including reconsidering their own assumptions about gender, no matter how “liberal” they may consider themselves.

This book is best for anyone who loves joyful self-help guides. Alok Vaid-Menon and Ashley Lukashevsky’s Beyond the Gender Binary is available from publisher Penguin Random House .

Bottom Line

Whether you are seeking a solution to a specific problem, or you just want to improve your life, the best self-growth books give you a place to start and a plan to follow. You can pick any one from this list and explore new paths in life.

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Self-Reliance and Other Essays Paperback – April 16, 2018

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 106 pages
• Language English
• Publication date April 16, 2018
• Dimensions 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 1684222087
• ISBN-13 978-1684222087
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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Martino Fine Books (April 16, 2018)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 106 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1684222087
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1684222087
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.1 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches
• #2 in Transcendentalism Philosophy
• #28 in Nature Writing & Essays
• #92 in Essays (Books)

About the authors

American renaissance books.

American Renaissance is a series of classic books designed and published by ST Book Arts. Visit TorodeDesign.com to see more.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are few people as quoted and quotable as Ralph Waldo Emerson, founder of the transcendental movement and author of classic essays as Self-Reliance, Nature, and The American Scholar. Emerson began his career as a Unitarian minister and later put those oratory skills to move us toward a better society. More remains written on him than by him.

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