Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self-Reliance starts off with the statement that "imitation is suicide". Emerson is trying to say that by copying someone else we kill off our inner selves, and since our inner selves are tiny Gods, this is a rather awful thing to do. Thus, society and the status quo are very bad things indeed. We're supposed to isolate ourselves from all outside influences to become the brave men that God has chosen to make his work manifest in. Basically, there is no one better than you and all others are just trying to impede your progress. I endeavored to look past the self righteousness that so irks me, and see what Emerson was really trying to say with Self Reliance. I agree that the ability to think for yourself and knowing when society has it wrong, are good things. I just disagree that we can only accomplish great things if we disregard the thoughts and ideas of others. Emerson says, "To be great is to be misunderstood...", which may be true in many instances, but he also implies that people like Pythagoras, Jesus, Luther, Galileo and Newton all were independent thinkers. To an extent, they were, but they also read and studied the works of ones who came before them. I think some things about Transcendentalism are right on, but all of the ideas seem to be taken to such an extreme that I can't fully agree with it.
Self-Reliance is a good example of transcendental writing because it talks so much about listening to the inner self, the little god that lives in you. Emerson says, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds... With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do." This is a good example of transcendental thought as well, because Emerson is talking about the consistency of society, and society/consistency impede transcending. Self-Reliance is all about awakening your destiny and becoming as great as you can be by not following the norm, and listening to your intuition; all of that is a part of what the transcendentalist believed.