Emerson Aphorisms
Please cite the aphorism that struck you the most in Self Reliance. An aphorism is a short statment that expresses wise or clever observations about life. Please elaborate on its meaning and the overall significance and connection to you.
posted by Jessie C. at 1:18 PM
5 Comments:
This is my favorite Emerson quote, " I it is harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better that you know it."I believe people think they know you better than you know yourself. That will try to tell you what youi should be for the rest of your life. They think that they are always right.
"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." This really strikes me because i have wasted a lot of my life trying to be someone else. I see someone getting attention from what they do, so i try to copy them. But what i have noticed is that it never went the way planned. I played games and made people like another person liveing inside my body. it really taught me that no matter who you are, be that person God made you to be, not something different. I wish so much that I can gain back all that time i spent being a fake, but i know i will never have that wish granted. But that is ok becuase i have learned and I am not afraid to have people take me in for me. It most definately feels a lot better!!!
Ralph Waldo Emerson presents many intriguing aphorisms throughout his essay entitled “Self Reliance”. He poses many observations upon life through these and one of the most compelling aphorisms that he used was “Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other.” This sparked an idea that I had never crossed about how society is viewed. The advancement of society is often measured by technology, power, and wealth within the society. This is how I had viewed the success of society and which nations are more advanced. With this aphorism Emerson points out that with the gain of these things that many value society as a whole loses touch of the things that are equally as important. The “advancement” of society has led to people losing creativity or the value of tasks now performed by machines. As society “advances” and grows more land is taken up and the appreciation for the simple pleasures of nature is slowly lost. Society must pick which is important, but if all aspects of life aren’t put in to perspective these things that are not cherished may be lost. This aphorism really puts society in perspective for me. This changes how I view a successful society and how it never really advances but only focuses on different things.
My favorite aphorism is the one that says, "The eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit...". I love this one because a lot of times I find myself with something almost perfect. It could be a movie or book or even a piece of music, that I know is truly golden. It's something I've studied and/or know a lot about. When I try to share these things with other people they often shoot me down or blow me off. They are so concerned with how they'll be look at, that they deny themselves enjoyment. They have no knowledge this, yet they've already made up their mind that it is "stupid" or "a waste of time". The worst part about this is that sometimes their ignorance can hinder my view. This aphorism is the best.
"Insist on yourself; never imitate." I think that this is so true, not only to show others who you really are but to show yourself what you are really made of. Life can be an amazing adventure if you try to create your own path and you don't just try to do what others have done before you. Creating your own path can be one of the best things that you can ever do and if you do it right you might be able to be remember by others for what you have done. So i think that it is a very simple yet powerful statement.
Post a Comment
<< Home