Ralph Waldo Emerson Non Conformism
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American writer who believed in living as a non-conformist. His writings were admired greatly by Thoreau, who considered himself a disciple of Emerson. For Thoreau and Emerson, non-conformism embodied the necessity for living an authentic and unique life.
What is a non-conformist? A non-conformist is one who chooses “to live deliberately as nature” (Thoreau line 106) meaning that they are someone who follows their own path and realize their purpose in life. Emerson mentions in part of “Self-Reliance” that “Whoso to be a man, must be a non-conformist” which is stating that in order to be one who lives an authentic life that one must also have the ability to know their place in the world and do what they believe is …show more content…
Emerson believed that “No law can be sacred to me but that of nature” (Self-Reliance paragraph 3) and that society's rules of what was normal did not pertain to him as long as he was living the life he wanted to make for himself uniquely. He observed the way the water rippled, the sun rose and fell, the leaves swayed and the insects lived enjoying the natural and simplistic things that everyday people pass by. He was completely engulfed in his life and maintained the mentality that “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think.” (paragraph 4) The way emerson lived was not based on what society approved of, he lived the life that was unlike anyone else's which in his mind was better than sticking with how everyone else lived. What society perceives of him as was unimportant. Being a non-conformist means that you believe in what you believe, not what the superior man thinks. That is not to say that he judged those who chose to live with society and their ways and norms, but that he believed in a different path.The last lines of Emerson’s writing happen strikes most relevant by saying ”Is it so bad then to be misunderstood?… To be great is to be misunderstood”. (paragraph 6) which is how all great men and women lived, unique and
What is a non-conformist? A non-conformist is one who chooses “to live deliberately as nature” (Thoreau line 106) meaning that they are someone who follows their own path and realize their purpose in life. Emerson mentions in part of “Self-Reliance” that “Whoso to be a man, must be a non-conformist” which is stating that in order to be one who lives an authentic life that one must also have the ability to know their place in the world and do what they believe is …show more content…
Emerson believed that “No law can be sacred to me but that of nature” (Self-Reliance paragraph 3) and that society's rules of what was normal did not pertain to him as long as he was living the life he wanted to make for himself uniquely. He observed the way the water rippled, the sun rose and fell, the leaves swayed and the insects lived enjoying the natural and simplistic things that everyday people pass by. He was completely engulfed in his life and maintained the mentality that “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think.” (paragraph 4) The way emerson lived was not based on what society approved of, he lived the life that was unlike anyone else's which in his mind was better than sticking with how everyone else lived. What society perceives of him as was unimportant. Being a non-conformist means that you believe in what you believe, not what the superior man thinks. That is not to say that he judged those who chose to live with society and their ways and norms, but that he believed in a different path.The last lines of Emerson’s writing happen strikes most relevant by saying ”Is it so bad then to be misunderstood?… To be great is to be misunderstood”. (paragraph 6) which is how all great men and women lived, unique and