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David Thoreau And Emerson Comparison Essay

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The quote that I was most fond of throughout David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works was said by Emerson in the 2nd paragraph of Self-Reliance that states “Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.”. He had said this quote when he was talking about how one will find a time in their life when something becomes too much to handle, and that the “imitation of suicide” will be relevant. He also tries to convince the reader that their divine spirit is greater than the one of society, and that they should be different than the people surrounding them. After the quote, he discusses that society is simply a conspiracy …show more content…

Also, not a singular graphic is capable of defining this message. In the case of this statement, there aren’t many ways to explain his argument against his idea of conforming to be someone else. However, this quote could connect to modern day situations. For instance, one can use the idea of standing up against bullying as one. Generally, a person is bullied because they are thought of as different, but if one isn't affected by this bullying, then they are honoring who they are on the inside. Standing out is rather okay if you are remembering that you are a single person. Also, this could be connected to an idea that Aristotle had, which was that everything posses its own “entelechy”, meaning that everything will eventually reach its highest potential. From there, this could be connected to the idea that everything happens for a reason, because everything has to happen for one to possess its greatest potential. Everything that occurs in life will either be a direct benefit or will be a learning experience, all of which will lead to something great. As long as one is listening to their hearts, the beat of their own drum and their personal, spiritual beliefs, like the Native Americans, then they can be their own individual

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