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Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson The quote that most provoked thought and
emotion from within me comes from the essay Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo
Emerson. To be great is to be misunderstood was used by Emerson to explain the
lagging growth of the conception of ideas and thoughts of his generation.
Original and novel ideas were scorned by conservatives who believed the best
method for learning was by repetition and memorization of proven classics
written by previous generations. The continuing timelessness of his quote is
still in effect today as the scientific community has evolved to accept
unaccustomed theories, yet encounters difficulty when relating to the public new
and extreme ideas that rebut the system.In history, the results of individualism
has been spread world wide. Important leaders, thinkers, and philosophers with
radical ideas in virgin areas of research were making significant finds rapidly.
Yet progress was slowed by short-sighted men who failed to see greatness.Aberham
Lincoln was a revolutionary in his time with his views on slavery and
forgiveness of the South. Yet his death was the result of one man's refusal to
accept what was once a proud and rich land reduced to tatters- left to ruin
because of her failure to accept civil reform. Herman Melville's work in Moby
Dick was considered a classic, yet Melville died a figure with lost prestige,
poor and unaccepted.
When he was laid to rest in 1891, he was remembered only as
the author of entertaining novels of the South Seas. It was not until 1920s when
his place in America's foremost writers was assured. His works are now great
masterpieces of emotion that were misunderstood while he was still alive.Another
important example is democracy. In medieval times, monarchies and kingdoms ruled
the land. Today, the monarch is merely a figurehead behind the power of
democracy. At the birth of the democratic rise of the United States of America,
the colonists were thought of as upstart fools- dreamers believing the
impossible. English royalists were aghast at the indignation of the colonies to
separate from England and form their own country. In present day, the United
States is the sole world power, a great country born out of dreams.Self-Reliance
expressed the need for creative thinking. Society during Emerson's era resisted
reform and scorned the reformer. Emerson saw individualism in direct conflict
with society. The effect of society, he thought, was not to strengthen the
individual, but to breed conformity and fear. Although he often criticized
society, he stressed more importantly the openness of the individual through the
soul. The quote To be great is to be misunderstood reflected upon the lack of
acceptance of new thought and theory during his time.
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