Alissa Walker September 17, 2007

Quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance and Nature

“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a join-stock company =, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.” – Self Reliance

Here, Emerson is describing how society is suppressing the liberty and independence of the people. Then, he further goes into dictating that society is the way it is since all members want to eat and lead prosperous lives. Basically, society is willing to surrender its freedom in order for certain members to sustain wealth. Society is greedy and selfish, subsequently all men should focus on their own needs more than the needs of others and the community.

“To be great is to be misunderstood.” – Self Reliance

Being misunderstood isn’t necessarily a bad thing, according to Emerson. According to him, some of the greatest beings were considered misunderstood by society including Pythagoras, Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and ‘Every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh.’ When a person is misunderstood it usually means that their ideas and innovations are just new ways of thinking. The people of society are not always familiar to these thoughts, which can pose as a threat to their current society.

“Few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.” - Nature

This quote explains that adults see only specific parts of nature. Where as in a child, they notice all the little details that nature has to offer, and it doesn’t take them much time to notice these things. Think about it, a child is usually the one pointing things out to you rather than you to them. This is because they aren’t focused on other things in their life that may distract them from these beauties and minorities.

“He is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me. Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight. “ -Nature

Nature is always changing. Emerson feels that man should always be happy with nature since change is good. If the weather was to be the same everyday, then man would be bored with nature. Yet, since it is different everyday man should be thankful to change and each weather pattern represents a different state of mind and reflects how nature is feeling, all day, everyday.