Conforms By Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” These words, written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, are strong and wise, but so many people choose not to follow them. In today’s society, as well as in the past, people have defaulted to conformity. Society has created this ideal image for all people to follow. There are few people who choose to go against what society wants and choose, instead, to be individuals. Being an individual separates a person from society, and these people will set their own path, will have no regret and will be happy. In “Self-Reliance”, written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and “Corn Pone Opinions”, written by Mark Twain, both authors discuss how people conform to
society (due to the outside influences of others) and why these people live the saddest lives.
The authors discuss why going against society and acting as oneself will bring the most happiness in life. One can live a meaningful life by not conforming, by having one’s own opinions and by being able to speak freely without the fear of being judged.
People tend to conform because they are afraid of being perceived as different or as an individual. It is less work to conform to society, than it is to work to become an individual. Many are afraid to be themselves, because they do not want to stand out in society. They would rather fit in with the crowd. In “Self-Reliance”, written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author discusses how most people in society tend to conform and why we need to change that. Emerson writes “There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse at his portion;...” (Emerson, 233).
Emerson says when people wish to be someone else, someone better than who they think they are, they waste their life away wanting something they will never have. When one tries to act like someone else, that person is no longer him or herself. People need to accept themselves for who they are and not try to be like anyone else. People need to form their own path and also be happy with who they are. As previously stated, many choose to conform because it is easier to do, rather than be an individual. Emerson writes “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” (Emerson, 234), which means that people who want to be an individual have to stop conforming to society. To be an individual, a person has to be able to speak their mind, have their own opinions and not let anyone influence their personality or style. Conformity is a choice that many choose, not only since it is easier, but because society pressures people into conformity, conspiring against individuality. People that choose to be an individual do not always have it easy, but they are the people that can make a change in the world.
When people conform, they follow other people, from how they dress and act to how they follow the thoughts and opinions of others.
Mark Twain discusses in his essay “Corn-Pone Opinions” that most of people’s opinions are formed from others’ opinions. In the essay, Twain writes “We are creatures of outside influences; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate.” (Twain, 3). This quote means that most people will follow the opinions of others, instead of thinking for themselves. The people that choose to follow the opinions of others begin to lose their own identity and take on the identity of someone else. Some people have their own opinions, which Twain refers to as a “first-hand opinion”. Even though there are people that have these opinions, most opinions are still formed based off those of others. The reason we follow the opinions of others, in Mark Twain’s words, is “Self-approval is acquired mainly from the approval of other people.” (Twain, 4). This leads back to the idea of conformity. Many make the mistake of following others’ opinions. But, even if they do not agree with them, they still conform and take them on as their own. In life, people want to find a way to fit into society, having society accept them. A person who can have their own opinions and not care what society thinks is a strong individual. These people, who do not conform and do not look for self-approval in others, will have an impact on
society.
In conclusion, people can live fulfilling lives by being individuals and not conforming because of the influences of society. So many people are afraid to be who they are, and choose to follow the crowd to fit in with society and seek out the approval of others. One way people try to fit in with society is not having their own opinions and following those of others. There are people that create their own path and form their own opinions, but the majority of people choose the easy path to conform, and they lose their individuality. People conform because society looks down on individuals. The world needs more individuals because they will be the ones who change the world. So, will you choose to be a conformist, who no longer has an identity, or will you choose to be an individual, who can have an impact on the world?