Scan barcode
insearchof_wonder_'s review
challenging
slow-paced
1.0
This is the biggest pile of horse poop I ever read. That's the nicest thing I can think of to say about it. Ok, there were a few random sentences that I found pithy and true. And I do believe there is a place for standing firm in your beliefs and thoughts and not allowing yourself to be swayed by popular opinion. But this is a paean to the self as god, to the self as the be-all and end-all of truth at the expense of every other relationship and even at the expense of logic. No, thanks. I'm a pretty stubbornly independent thinker, but you go too far, Emerson. Far too far.
amysdenn's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
For something so short it was so slow and obvious in the messages he was saying.
jenmkin's review
3.0
If you take what Ralph Waldo Emerson says in this essay and then dial it back, I agree with a lot of it, but that still doesn't mean I enjoy reading it
gijs's review against another edition
4.0
When Nietzsche considers you ‘the most gifted of the Americans’ you have some reputation to live up to. In these essays, Emerson expounds his philosophy of individualism, critical thinking and above all; non-conformity (an intellectual holy trinity of sorts!)(and yes, the irony/hypocrisy of quoting a philosopher who insists on thinking for yourself does not escape me):
“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.”
“Rough and graceless would be such greeting, but truth is handsomer than the affectation of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, else it is none.”
“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.”
“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because 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.”
“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.”
“Rough and graceless would be such greeting, but truth is handsomer than the affectation of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, else it is none.”
“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.”
“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because 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.”
marinasendkast's review
2.0
This seems like a bible of individualism and non-conformity and, while I get it and I too believe it's important to embrace whatever it is that makes you special, it might take the concept a bit to the extreme. The ideas in this text certainly explain many American attitudes (like their weird belief that their health system is something worth keeping).
As for the text itself, it was extremely verbose at times, which made it kind of difficult to follow. Never sacrifice simplicity in attempts to sound sophisticated.
As for the text itself, it was extremely verbose at times, which made it kind of difficult to follow. Never sacrifice simplicity in attempts to sound sophisticated.
ida_s's review
3.0
Interesting read. I like to be reminded that all great men were just men and that there is no reason why I shouldn't be as great.
However, the list of things we disagree on probably outweighed the list of things we agree on. I basically stated the latter above.
However, the list of things we disagree on probably outweighed the list of things we agree on. I basically stated the latter above.
nottclaudiasboat's review
5.0
"To be great is to be misunderstood. [...] Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles". Emerson, I thank you for writing this masterpiece.
abbycel3's review
3.0
Read this for free on my books app bc I wanted to get more into older poets and I enjoyed this. At times some of the wording was over my head and difficult to understand, but other times some of the passages really resonated with me. The basic moral of the story is that the only place you’ll ever find true peace is from yourself, don’t try to imitate anyone else, material assets mean nothing as long as you stand firm in your own self and realize you are uniquely powerful. That’s what I got from it, good messages
cryo_guy's review against another edition
3.0
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.” (This is the last line and boy is it a great closer.)
I don't remember reading much of Emerson, but I must have in high school at some point. Or it could be that I was forced to read parts of Walden or Civil Disobedience instead. At any rate, I found this slim volume, featuring woodcuts by Stanley Clough (google him, he did some neat depression era environmental ones funded by the WPA), at my library's used book store. I would have bought it just for the woodcuts, but there was something alluring about 19th century America. I've been reading some early Frost and besides that I've got Walden and Whitman on my long queue. And it's such a short book, I thought I would give it a quick read.
Alrighty so what do I think? Well in one way it's great. Transcendentalism is sometimes cited as America's first intellectual movement. Self-Reliance is an excellent entry into transcendentalism without going too far (or, perhaps regrettably, getting to the meat of things). Transcendentalism itself is not my favorite philosophy, but I find it compelling for being inspired by idealism. I do so love the fervent commitment to ideas. The fundamental principle of divine providence has the opposite effect on me; although, I'll say that I wasn't overly put off by its appearance in Self-Reliance. In another way, it's very much a simple pamphlet meant to grab peoples' attention. it only scratches the surface of a much more complicated philosophy (not to mention applying it to the context of one's life). Some of it is very obviously vague and rhetorical in function. But I think that's appropriate considering what this book is. I could criticize it for being simple, but that would be to ignore the length or apparent purpose of the book.
So what are the worthwhile things? Trust in yourself, take guidance from what serves your own will and not just society's, principles are more important than material gains. There's a generally well-developed sense of self-reliance (heh) that I would think is beneficial to people whether they have never encountered the idea, they exist to serve the norms and standards of society, or they struggle satisfying what they think is good for themselves and what they think society deems they should do. There's a Socratic element here when Emerson says something like:
“He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”
The unexamined life is not worth living. Yes, please, let's encourage people to be self-critical particularly when it comes to whatever "good" or "sacred" means.
Or even:
“No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it.”
Clearly transcendentalist in pointing to one's constitution, but that there is a certain degree of relativism when it comes to "good" and "bad" I might argue is Socratic.
And then let's culminate this connection with:
“…but truth is handsomer than the affectation of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, – else it is none.”
Truly. I love the use of the word edge here for its connotation. The edge means that it must stop; a line must be drawn. Edge also implies a sharpness to me, a sharpness set against others. Emerson's exhortation to truth may mean conflict with others not so committed. How often does Socrates encourage us to the truth?
I think there are a lot of good lines like these thrown around. There are just as many bland words of rhetoric about believing in your intuition. Don't get me wrong, I don't think intuition is useless. It is useful in the way Emerson is talking, but it can also be a platitude for a more serious and complicated socio-cultural problem. Transcendentalism was born out of an opposition to rationalism and now we of the 21st century get to wrestle with both.
Other quotes worth mentioning:
“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men, – that is genius.”
This one is in the first paragraph. Encapsulating of what follows.
“I would write on the lintels of the doorpost, Whim. I hope it is somewhat better than whim at last, but we cannot spend the day in explanation. Expect me not to show cause why I seek or why I exclude company.”
I like Emerson's prose. It has a lyrical/poetic quality to it, like the use of edge I commented on. Oh and then the last sentence here I love. Put that one on my tombstone.
“Another sort of false prayers are our regrets. Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. Regret calamities if you can thereby help the sufferer; if not, attend your own work and already the evil begins to be repaired. Our sympathy is just as base.”
Ah regret. I love to dwell on what regret means and what we regret in our lives. I personally don't indulge in it all that much, but feelings aren't always a matter of deciding what to indulge in. I love this one for the last sentence as well--and that's probably worth commenting on too, that Emerson's rhetoric is effective. I loathe when people proselytize to me about sympathy. Maybe that means I'm a sociopath! Or maybe you're all a bunch of altruistic ninnies!
I don't remember reading much of Emerson, but I must have in high school at some point. Or it could be that I was forced to read parts of Walden or Civil Disobedience instead. At any rate, I found this slim volume, featuring woodcuts by Stanley Clough (google him, he did some neat depression era environmental ones funded by the WPA), at my library's used book store. I would have bought it just for the woodcuts, but there was something alluring about 19th century America. I've been reading some early Frost and besides that I've got Walden and Whitman on my long queue. And it's such a short book, I thought I would give it a quick read.
Alrighty so what do I think? Well in one way it's great. Transcendentalism is sometimes cited as America's first intellectual movement. Self-Reliance is an excellent entry into transcendentalism without going too far (or, perhaps regrettably, getting to the meat of things). Transcendentalism itself is not my favorite philosophy, but I find it compelling for being inspired by idealism. I do so love the fervent commitment to ideas. The fundamental principle of divine providence has the opposite effect on me; although, I'll say that I wasn't overly put off by its appearance in Self-Reliance. In another way, it's very much a simple pamphlet meant to grab peoples' attention. it only scratches the surface of a much more complicated philosophy (not to mention applying it to the context of one's life). Some of it is very obviously vague and rhetorical in function. But I think that's appropriate considering what this book is. I could criticize it for being simple, but that would be to ignore the length or apparent purpose of the book.
So what are the worthwhile things? Trust in yourself, take guidance from what serves your own will and not just society's, principles are more important than material gains. There's a generally well-developed sense of self-reliance (heh) that I would think is beneficial to people whether they have never encountered the idea, they exist to serve the norms and standards of society, or they struggle satisfying what they think is good for themselves and what they think society deems they should do. There's a Socratic element here when Emerson says something like:
“He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”
The unexamined life is not worth living. Yes, please, let's encourage people to be self-critical particularly when it comes to whatever "good" or "sacred" means.
Or even:
“No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it.”
Clearly transcendentalist in pointing to one's constitution, but that there is a certain degree of relativism when it comes to "good" and "bad" I might argue is Socratic.
And then let's culminate this connection with:
“…but truth is handsomer than the affectation of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, – else it is none.”
Truly. I love the use of the word edge here for its connotation. The edge means that it must stop; a line must be drawn. Edge also implies a sharpness to me, a sharpness set against others. Emerson's exhortation to truth may mean conflict with others not so committed. How often does Socrates encourage us to the truth?
I think there are a lot of good lines like these thrown around. There are just as many bland words of rhetoric about believing in your intuition. Don't get me wrong, I don't think intuition is useless. It is useful in the way Emerson is talking, but it can also be a platitude for a more serious and complicated socio-cultural problem. Transcendentalism was born out of an opposition to rationalism and now we of the 21st century get to wrestle with both.
Other quotes worth mentioning:
“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men, – that is genius.”
This one is in the first paragraph. Encapsulating of what follows.
“I would write on the lintels of the doorpost, Whim. I hope it is somewhat better than whim at last, but we cannot spend the day in explanation. Expect me not to show cause why I seek or why I exclude company.”
I like Emerson's prose. It has a lyrical/poetic quality to it, like the use of edge I commented on. Oh and then the last sentence here I love. Put that one on my tombstone.
“Another sort of false prayers are our regrets. Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. Regret calamities if you can thereby help the sufferer; if not, attend your own work and already the evil begins to be repaired. Our sympathy is just as base.”
Ah regret. I love to dwell on what regret means and what we regret in our lives. I personally don't indulge in it all that much, but feelings aren't always a matter of deciding what to indulge in. I love this one for the last sentence as well--and that's probably worth commenting on too, that Emerson's rhetoric is effective. I loathe when people proselytize to me about sympathy. Maybe that means I'm a sociopath! Or maybe you're all a bunch of altruistic ninnies!