Emerson: Impeding the Imagination

Impeding the Imagination

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the father of transcendentalism, in Self-Reliance clearly outlines the importance of remaining true to oneself. He believes the greatest flaw of human kind is the need to conform and be accepted, and that desire for approval limits the bounds of creativity and self-trust. Modern society shows that the unique talents of each member of a community are the prime factors for progress, and without individual freedom and human insight, any form of development would stagnate. Emerson clearly portrays that individualism should be the basic tenet of human life, yet propriety, fear of hypocrisy, and cowardice impede those who wish to break free of social restraints. Yet Emerson’s ideology clearly disregards the benefits of and grounds on which conformity has survived through the centuries.

Emerson emphasizes throughout Self-Reliance the importance of thinking for oneself rather than meekly subordinating one’s will to another’s. He summarizes his full message in two simple words, “[t]rust thyself,” emphasizing that relying on others is cowardly, and maturing is the process of breaking free from the community’s bonds (Self-Reliance 540). Responding to the idea of following society’s laws for the betterment of all mankind, Emerson articulates that it is more important to remain true to a so-called evil nature than to behave in a way deemed right by society, for “the only right is what is after [one’s] constitution, the only wrong what is against it” (Self-Reliance 541). Acquiescing to public opinion degrades integrity and corrupts life and the energy required for creation. The ideal individual’s nature for Emerson “belongs to no other time or place, but is the centre of all things,” a fact which helps battle conformity (Self-Reliance 543).

Emerson praises individualism, but when his arguments are closely examined, they demonstrate the weakness of acting alone and encourage people to lose rather than seek individuality, reflecting the several flaws in his doctrine. Conformity is unavoidable and necessary in society for harmonious interaction between all members of a community. In the pursuit of individualism and to separate oneself from one’s peers, it is easy to demonize assimilation. Conformity is a complex yet integral element of society. If conformity had always been a hindrance to the expression of humanity, why is it so deeply ingrained in human behavior? For Emerson then, non-conformity means to go not “where the path may lead, [but to] go instead where there is no path and leave a trail,” avoiding the most established conventions such as religion, sports, and language (Self-Reliance 548). If individuals deliberated every action to separate themselves from others before following through, progress would come to a standstill, and the unique thoughts, which Emerson so desires, would never be formulated. Emergencies reflect in microcosm the importance of maintaining order and thinking in a similar fashion. At schools, a fire or an earthquake causes panic, which can be relieved if everyone follows the proper procedure. To avoid confusion when referring to particular exit doors, students and faculty are told beforehand what procedure to follow and where to go. If this were not true, chaos and disaster would be inevitable. Conformity is clearly innate to the individual and necessary to the community.

While human love and the bonds between