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Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes Essay

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Matthew Selby Mrs. Matt English 11/Am. Lit 7 February 2024 Emerson Quote Ralph Waldo Emerson was a known philosopher, poet, and transcendentalist. He was especially well known for his quotes on self-reliance with themes of transcendentalism. One of the quotes that resonates with me is, “What I should do is everything that worries me, not what people think”. Emerson’s transcendental views are seen through this quote because transcendentalism goes against what society would consider normal or of importance. Furthermore, this quote can be broken down even further in depth. In transcendentalism, worrying about what others think is not of concern at all. One of the ways that the world may be different is the affairs of materialistic possessions. …show more content…

Another concern of the world that would not be a problem for Emerson is how many activities he is involved with compared to others. In society, it’s very common for people to be busy for nearly all of their lives and have many affairs, but with individualistic ideas like Emerson's, it is more important to do things that truly matter instead of activities that take away from the simplicity of life. The principal breakdown of this quote is the concern about the thoughts of other people. What I think Emerson was trying to display with this quote is that no matter what others thought about him, he was going to do what he needed to do to improve himself and the only worry he should have is whether or not he is doing all he can. In agreement with Emerson, I can apply this principle to my life and use it to better myself. In my opinion, Emerson’s quote is the perfect example of the mindset one should live their life with. Concern about other’s opinions or thoughts has been something that I have struggled with in the past, and I just recently started changing my mindset about what others

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