Emerson And Individuality

Emerson opens his 1841 essay, “Self-Reliance,” with the Latin quotation, “Ne te quaesiveris extra,” which translates to do not search outside of yourself or do not imitate others (596). This quote foreshadows one of the main topic his essay; individuality. Individuality is an important feature because it separates people from each other. Throughout the essay Emerson contradicts the popular saying imitation is the highest form of flattery by saying, “imitation is suicide” (596). He states that people are starting to rely on each other too much instead of oneself. Emerson is urging people to escape society with originality, trusting yourself, and avoiding conformity; which allows, “Self-Reliance,” to be an immortal essay.
“Imitation suicide,” meaning is simple: copying others will not advance people anywhere in life. Emerson does not address why people feel the need to copy each other, but
There is the recurring eye symbol, which has various meanings, but the ones that fit the most is intelligence and trust. Emerson expands on inner trust by describing it as, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for your in your private heart, is true for all men,—that is genius” (596). Being able to trust yourself can affect one’s originality because it enables us to second guess ourselves. Emerson wants readers to have confidence in what they believe in. The lack of confidence seen countless times throughout history involving important issues or smaller day to day occurrences. Humanity will always see someone else doing better and second guess their abilities as people. Emerson goes on to explain the consequences of not trusting one’s inner thoughts, “Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be force to take with shame our own opinions, from another”