Bucking the Trend

Emerson’s lengthy exploration of self-reliance basically states that one must reject conformity, and one must rely on their intuition. In the beginning of his piece, Emerson writes, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius.” He goes on to write, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Emerson repeats this advice throughout his essay. He ends by writing, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” By finishing the essay on this strong note, Emerson clearly states his belief that, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”
Emerson evidently believes that the rejection of conformity and the embrace of intuition will ensure success. He says to reject conformity because what is right for others may not necessarily right for you. Emerson also hints that your refusal to conform may bring you prosperity. For example, at one time, many Americans held stock in a company known as Enron. My parents felt uncomfortable investing in this popular energy company and refused to purchase its stock. When Enron went under after a series of scandals and poor business decisions, my parents were certainly glad they had ignored the Enron trend.
Emerson writes, “When we have new perception, we shall gladly disburden the memory of its hoarded treasures as old rubbish. When a man lives with God, his voice shall be sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn.” With this sentence and a succession of similar sentences, Emerson is explaining that when a man trusts in God, this man’s intuitions and “gleams of light” will have come from God. “My friend suggested, ‘But these impulses may be from below, not from above.’ I replied, ‘They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil’s child, I will live then from the Devil.’” If Emerson’s reactions came from the Devil, he would have to worship the Devil because the inspiration for these moments of genius is an inspiration worth of praise. However, it is Emerson’s belief that our intuition comes from God, and therefore we should follow our urges because they are from the Man himself.
While following your heart and rejecting conformity are nice messages, they are messages difficult to observe. Sometimes gut reactions turn out to be false— just think of the first impressions we have of other people. These snap decisions often turn out to be untrue. Or we don’t trust ourselves enough to obey our intuition. It’s even harder to reject conformity. Although many of us claim to do this successfully, we usually end up submitting to the laws and opinions of others. Our ancestors were forced to adapt to the wills of others to survive. Quite simply, we naturally to want to please others. It’s fascinating to read about conformity; countless studies have been conducted to research into the matter. The results, with slight variations, show that it’s much more natural to go along with everybody else. Conformity is possible to refuse, but it takes a strong will to break chains. Emerson writes lovely sentences, but his advice is ultimately hard to accept.