"Self-Reliance," a most quotable text

"Self-Reliance," by Ralph Waldo Emerson struck me as being full of quotes that one might see placed over a pretty picture and pinned on Pinterest as quotes about life or posted on tumblr, or something of that nature. For this reason, I've decided to blog about a collection of quotes that most resonated with me.

"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his."

I love this quote for both its meaning and its imagery. Emerson tells us that we have to trust our intuition and imagination; the thoughts that flash across our mind are potentially brilliant. People have a tendency to qualify their thoughts by saying, "I think," "I feel" or, "In my opinion" rather than simply stating their thoughts. This quote addresses that tendency to "dismiss without notice" our own thoughts as wise statements. In my own writing, I struggle to stop qualifying my statements and deeming them less valuable than that of another author or critic.

"The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried."

The part of this quote that stood out to me was "nor does he know until he has tried." This is the idea that until we attempt something, we cannot know the result. I do not whether I will succeed or fail until I at least try. This is a reminder that we are powerful and that we must test our own power without fear of failure.

"We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents."

This quote reminded me of the human tendency to censor ourselves. There are a lot of things that I do not say in the course of a day because something has caused me to doubt whether or not I should speak at certain times. Emerson rejects this censorship; he believes that our selves and our self-expression are representative of something "divine." If we doubt ourselves, we limit our opportunities for expression; Emerson reminds us that there is no reason to doubt ourselves.

"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string."

This quote also emphasizes the need to trust one's intuition and thoughts. I liked the succinctness of this line; it makes this quote an easy motto for life.

"How is a boy the master of society; independent, irresponsible ... He cumbers himself never about consequences, about interests: he gives an independent, genuine verdict ... But the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness."

I love this quote because it addresses how socialization negatively affects people. First, Emerson discusses the freedom of being a child; children are known for speaking without inhibitions. Then, he compares a person's growing consciousness to a jail. Emerson asserts that all people start their lives with independent thoughts and a willingness to express themselves freely, but as we are socialized, we begin to censor ourselves.

"Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members."

This quote is closely related to the previous quote. Society robs people of their individuality by forcing them to conform to norms of behavior. This process of normalization suppresses one's own instincts in favor of the larger society's opinions.

"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist."

Emerson asserts that one's manhood is determined by one's individuality. I took it to mean that to be a whole person, one must be a nonconformist. If we all conform to one ideal, we are a group rather than individuals. Our individual identity is formed by refusing to conform; our differences (and willingness to be different) sets us apart in ways that make us human. Diversity is what creates a beautiful and interesting world.

"My life is not an apology, but a life. It is for itself and not for a spectacle."

There is strength in the words "my life is not an apology." This is a refusal to live life for others or to live in an attempt to validate one's existence. Life is simply life.

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

I identify strongly with all of Emerson's quotes that value nonconformity. I appreciate difference and value people who are willing to be different. This quote is a reminder that the easy way to live is to conform with the world, but the easiest way to live is not the most rewarding. It is easy to publicly agree with the world, but Emerson asserts that it is only by keeping "the independence of solitude" that one becomes great.

"The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word."

I like this quote because it serves as a reminder that it is okay to change one's mind. Opinions change over time, for a variety of reasons. Emerson allows room for evolution; he says that it is limiting to try to always be consistent.

"Insist on yourself; never imitate."

This is one of the most quotable lines of "Self-Reliance" because it is concise and profound. Emerson argues that we must not strive to be like others; we are capable of our own greatness. Imitation does not produce great new meaning; it is just mimicry of a previous thought.

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."

This quote resonated with me because peace of mind is a powerful concept. One of my ultimate goals is to be content with myself and my life. Emerson says that the only thing that will bring me peace is myself and the triumph of principles. If I can rely on myself and my principles, I can find peace. That is a beautiful thought.

Although much of what Emerson wrote resonated with me, I did not agree with his consistent use of masculine pronouns and references to "man" or "manhood." As someone who speaks out against conformity, one would think that Emerson would have broken the tradition of using masculine language. I found myself wanting to add bracketed phrases such as "or she" and "or woman" to each of these quotes so that they would be inclusive. I settled for offering my interpretations using inclusive and gender neutral language.

Reactions to Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"

I think that the parent-child analogy that is often used to discuss one country's dominance over another is interesting; it is often a flawed concept. Thomas Paine discusses the reasons why Britain was not a good parent and explains why he does not consider Britain to be America's parent. I love the points that he makes here. The first, that Britain is a shameful parent, is fitting. As Paine says, "even brutes do not devour their young" and "nor savages make war upon their families," yet Britain was abusive to America through their use of the military, taxes, and by not allowing America to have a voice in politics. The second, that America was built with descendents of all of Europe, is also a valid point. This refutation of the parent-child analogy is, honestly, common sense.

I think there are other reasons why the parent-child analogy is flawed. For example, in human relationships, the child usually does not live with their parent for the entire duration of their life. At some point, children become adults and are ready to move out into the world as their own autonomous being. At age eighteen (in America and many other countries), a child is considered an adult and has their own legal rights that are independent of the parent's. The child becomes a free agent and does not have to abide by the parent's wishes. The same is true of America; even if Britain were the sole founder of America, it is natural that America would eventually grow into its own autonomous country.


Paine makes excellent use of rhetorical appeals in "Common Sense." He appeals to logic when he points out the flaws in the parent-child analogy, and also when he discusses the consequences of being affiliated with Britain during war time. His ethical appeals stem from his references to God; by using God's will as part of his argument for America's freedom, Paine makes himself seem credible to the Christian people of the nation. He entreats his audience to trust him by making himself seem like a moral, God-loving man. Paine's emotional appeals come across when Paine reminds his audience that Britain has contributed to the burning of American houses, has destroyed American families' properties in front of them, has left families "destitute of a bed to lie on, or bread to live on," and has caused the death of both parents and children. In this last case, he throws out harsh names at anyone who could withstand all of these injuries and still love Britain; he calls these people "unworthy [of] the name of husband, father, friend, or lover" and tells them that they "have the heart of a coward, and the spirit of a sycophant." In these lines, he is almost daring a person to support Britain and still keep their dignity.

One thing that I found disappointing in Paine's "Common Sense" was his exclusion of women. I know that gender neutrality was a rare thing in that time period, but I think that if a person is forward-thinking enough to suggest a country fight for independence, there is a chance that they might be forward-thinking enough to include women in their texts. Unfortunately, Paine consistently addresses men; he refers to "the concern of every man," "men of all ranks," "countrymen," and many other "men." Reading texts such as this one remind me of how little freedom women were allowed and how excluded they were. A part of me is disappointed that it was this way for so long, but another part is glad to see how much progress we have made.

Overall, I think that "Common Sense" is a convincing appeal to Americans to support independence from Britain. If I had read this as a colonist, I think I would have agreed with Paine wholeheartedly.

The Pennsylvania Gazette: King George's War and Runaway Servants

I decided to read issue 1021, published July 7, 1748, because July 7 is my birthday and that's as good a reason as any other when it comes to choosing a date to read about. This issue was published near the end of King George's War, which was fought between the French colonies and the British in North America.

The first thing that stood out was the slogan at the top: "Containing the freshest Advices, Foreign and Domestick." I liked that it used the word "freshest" rather than "latest" or some other synonym. "Freshest" sounds more appealing; I want to start referring to new items as "the freshest." The second was the spelling of certain words. For example, using "f" instead of "s." That looks so strange and I don't understand why that was done in that time period. It made it difficult to read the text because I had to consider whether the letter was an "f" or an "s" each time one appeared.

The dates at the top of each article were interesting to take note of because several of them are from February and April. This issue was published in July, so there was often a lapse of several months between the article's original publishing date and its inclusion in The Pennsylvania Gazette. It's hard to believe that it took that long for an article to circulate given how news works today. Now, people across the globe can access articles about events that happened only twenty minutes ago; it's hard to imagine not having that instant access to news.

The first article, "Expediency of Taking Quebec and Canada from the French," was about the Indian involvement in King George's war. The author discusses how the French attempted to bribe the Indians to help them with the war. I thought this discussion was intriguing. The author says that the French sent the Indians presents and made them promises. The French are also accused of attempting to use Christianity to gain compliance from the Indians; the author says that one of the catechisms used by the French in their attempts to convert the Indians teaches the Indians that the "saviour of the world" is French-born and that the English crucified the saviour. I would like to know if there is any truth to this statement or if it was a joke.

"Extract of a Letter from a young Lady at Lincoln, to her friend" was a story about performing good deeds. The young lady describes visiting a family who is distressed because something is killing their cattle and it is going to drive them into poverty. The lady responds by giving the family some of her own money. She describes this experience as providing her with a "more exquisite delight than [she] ever before had experienced" and then the letter ends by saying, "Go thou and do likewise." I found this article interesting because it centered on morality and social justice. In the midst of a page full of political articles about King George's War, there is this one piece that instead focuses on the joy of helping other people. It seems like an odd article to include, so I would like to know why Franklin thought it was fitting. Another article mentions that much of France "is in much distress, on account of the heaviness of taxes and the scarcity of provisions." This makes me think that perhaps Franklin was suggesting an end to the war between the French and the British because it was costing the people too much. If Britain is understood to the young lady with money to spare, then Franklin might be suggesting that Britain needs to have sympathy for the people of France and end the war.

One article mentions that the room in which a conference is to be held between several countries' ministers has to have five doors in order to prevent arguments over who should enter when (because of rank and precendency). I thought that was funny. It seems so silly to have something as simple as who gets to enter the room first be an important political issue.

I founds the advertisements section of this issue interesting as well. The first ad is about a slave that someone is trying to sell; I thought this was sad because it is so casual. It's hard to think that another human being was ever referred to as just a piece of property; the woman being sold is given less of a description than that of a lost horse that is in another ad. It's upsetting to see a human being advertised in the same section as land, kettles, and other goods. There were ten different ads pertaining to runaway servants; all but two were black or Irish. These ads indicate that these two groups of people were considered "less than" others; they were treated as property rather than people. Reading things like this remind me of America's past and how far we've come in accepting others, but also how far we still have to go.