Preview

Emerson Aphorism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
626 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Emerson Aphorism
“To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society.”

Personal desire for isolation originates in the overwhelming amounts of social pressures, responsibilities, and overwhelming amounts of work, but few can entirely find the solitude they that they desire. There are numerous distractions and interruptions as result of the society and your location. However, to hikers, it is apparent that the only peace is on the trails. The concept being that to completely enter solitude requires detachment from all social relations and routine living through returning to nature.
To engage entirely with your own thoughts, you must remove yourself you’re your position in society. But how does that mean? It requires separation from the constant contact that makes up our day-to-day lives. Daily interactions, though some may not seem particularly significant or poignant, require you to be conscious of the other person with whom you are speaking. You must be actively listening, engaged in their thoughts, able to volley back in forth in a conversation, all while trying to adhere to social formalities. For instance, cell phones and the constant texting between teenagers and adults alike. Texting is at an all time high, having four out of five people carrying a mobile phone, and some people averaging 40 text messages a day. It has been recorded that approximately fifty percent of users say that their cell phones are a major foundation in their social lives. Therefore, to fully embrace solitude, you must disconnect yourself from the social network, both physically and technologically, and turn to nature in search of solitude. In the backcountry, distanced from the social interactions that we maybe accustomed to, you can hike in peace, free of the stress of social network. Your only focus is on the earth on which you step, and your single goal, which is to complete your trek. I believe that when you are hiking, you are the purest for of yourself,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    ”(Looking for Alaska, John Green) This quote states that he wants to be alone most of the time and doesn’t want to be othered at all.…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deresiewicz Summary

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Some may say that this is a hindrance to human kind because we need to be in some form of solitude at certain times. What is not known is that to what extent…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People are like wolves, together they are fierce, but the lone wolf is mysterious, powerful, and wise. Resorting to reclusive tendencies not only is the feeding ground for the deepest of intellectual thinking, but it also is the opening to the mind of one’s self. Anthony Storr discusses this type of principle. His principle states freedom from society and responsibility is the key to achieving the highest amount of creativity and obtaining invaluable experience. This is apparent in the story of Chris McCandless, a man who ventures into not only a journey into Alaska, but into a journey of discovering himself. He stripped himself from the entangling web of relationships most humans cannot live without, and he chose to go toward a path of solitude.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Emerson In Self-Reliance

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Within NISI's community, we strive for the best for each individual. As the government of this community, we have a limited say of the people. Although the community is not ruled by policy and expediency, there is still a prominent government building located in downtown NISI. Inside the government building, we have officials that are elected by the community to protect and keep our community safe. With a limited government that is restricted through enumerated powers, each individual has the freedom to protect their rights through civil obedience, preserve their liberty through nonconformity and make their own decisions through self reliance.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau, a father of transcendentalism, once decided that instead trying to fit in with society, he was going to pursue a life of self-reliance alone in the woods. He claims,“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Imagine spending thirty days alone in a tent or a cabin in the wilderness with no technology, electricity, running water, and any form of communication. Every day you wake up to the sight of the beautiful, tall trees and the various wildlife living in the area. Most of the time, you can hear the many sounds of nature: the majestic songs of birds, the whistling in the wind, and trees rustling. But sometimes all you can hear is nothing but silence. Most of us would not be able to do this and we would most likely want to be anywhere but here. Not many people will experience living in the wilderness, but for those who have will have memories to treasure forever. Among those people who would choose this way of living is Chris McCandless.…

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Camping and being in the outdoors has been a significant part of my life for the last eight years. As a child, I never enjoyed it much. Three years ago, my family along with four other families decided to take a trip to Glacier National Park. The sky-piercing mountains and the beautiful lakes urged me to explore the outdoors more. From hiking through the mountainous trails to driving up the mountains through the Going-to-the-Sun road, I finally began to realize the relief and soothing sense that nature had to offer. Despite the love I finally found in the outdoors, I was never the dedicated and…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Canadian Prairies are notorious for its winter’s harsh, unforgiving climate. They represent not only humankind’s perseverance for survival, but unrelenting isolation, and the despair that can follow. In “The Painted Door” by Sinclair Ross, a discontent housewife gives into temptation after being left alone by her husband. A person will resist isolation, because when left alone, they will give in to temptatious thoughts, affecting their view on their relationships. Physical solitude will dictate if an individual choose to give into temptation. An individual’s independent reflection after giving into temptation will reveal their true feelings, making them decide on what they really want. Ross develops the idea that isolation will influence how one will…

    • 1384 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Not many people take the time out of their day to just sit and think. They could even just think about nothing. Sometimes nothing is the most anybody can even think about. Though most people are ensnared in their ever-growing schedules, others do take the time to just think about nothing. Some even spend their whole lives thinking about nothing except the reason for their existence. I’ve always admired people that do this, but I, too, am much more concerned about my daily tasks. In Jon Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild, the story of Chris McCandless’s transcendentalist journey through the continental U.S., shows just how much there is to gain from living this type of lifestyle. I do believe that the transcendentalist lifestyle is still valuable in the 21st century.…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Curley's Wife Isolation

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages

    an isolated and a lonely life has no one to turn to and will be by their self until…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    one's who stand alone with no one to look to for love or support. "For…

    • 2073 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Box Man

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This essay implies to the reader that loneliness isn’t always a vile thing. The author compares somebody who has absolutely nothing in life but enjoys the solitude, to people who roam through life alone, seeking for company—but never find it. The author compares the chosen lifestyle of the box man, to the undesired for loneliness of the victims. The author explains that although one may be poor and alone, it does not mean that one is unhappy. For example, in paragraph 12 it is explained that the mayor has offered him help, but the box man pushes it away. In paragraph 18 it is described how the box man enjoys his dark life. It is portrayed that life is a solo journey and that one may be much more miserable by going through life accompanied than by being a collector of boxes.…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel Into the Wild author Jon Krakauer defines isolation as self-imposed due to the desire to escape external influences of society. In doing so he uses tone, anecdotes, and statements from individuals who were involved with Christopher McCandless.…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever felt so distant, so isolated from everything and everyone around you? Isolation can be both physical and emotional. Physical isolation can be defined as antisocial or not socially contacting with people. Emotional isolation comes from the inside of a person. They could have issues going on with themselves or in their lives and they feel as if there is no one to turn to, so they choose to keep to themselves. Isolation is a common theme experienced in “Into The Wild” by the main character, Christopher McCandless.…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    My time in the wild was peaceful and quiet. The only sound was running water and birds. I felt as if all my stresses and worries faded away into thin air. “...However, it is peaceful out here. The woods are nearby and I can hear running water. I feel at peace. Connected…

    • 2219 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays