Transcendental Beliefs

* Self−Reliance * ¨but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the Independence of solitude.¨
This quote made me think a lot. At first I was thinking very complicated and I wasn´t able to quite understand it. But then I thought about it in a very simple way. This quote says that it takes a lot for someone to stay the same even though he feels pressured to change. Thinking this way is very helpful because like this it is easier to be in your comfort zone. * Self-Reliance * “Speak what you think today in hard words and tomorrow speaks what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradicts every thing you said today.”
I really like this quote because it really talks about the way people shouldn’t act at all. Every time you say something be honest in your words. I don’t matter if you’re against something but be respectful and honest in your response. Once you make your response, stand by it and accept you are wrong if that is the situation. If not, still be respectful and don’t humiliate or offend the ones who were incorrect.

* Nature * ¨For, nature is not always tricked in holiday attire, but the same scene which yesterday breathed perfumed and glittered as for the frolic of the nymphs, is overspread with melancholy today.¨
This quote talks about how nature can be beautiful one day and the next be a very awful day, but I think this can also be interpret in a different way. In life thing come and go, but some objects that are very connected to us can give a lot happy moments and the next just vanish with time. This can give an advice about things to come. Be ready for any change in your life because you never know how big it is and if you are ready to handle it. * Nature * “The sun shines today also.”
I really like this quote, not only because the words are very simple but because the meaning is very symbolic to me. This quote says ¨the sun shine today also¨ meaning that every day is a new day. Every time we wake up in the morning we began a new moment and different things may happen. One day, it could be the worse day in your entire life but the next day it can be the best day you ever had. * Walden * ¨Hardly a man takes a half hour´s dinner, but when he wakes he holds up his head and ask, ¨What´s the news?¨ as if the rest of mankind had stood his sentinels.¨
The quote from Walden really stood up to me because it is very true. We spend too much time checking what others are doing in Twitter or Facebook that we forget about our own lives. Every day were trying to know what celebrities are doing in TV that we waste time for ourselves. We need to spent more time thinking about our lives and just do stuff without thinking about others. * Walden * “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
This quote basically what is saying that an individual should be comfortable enough with himself rather than looking for more materials things or even love. I think this is very true because if you can’t even love yourself or be comfortable with yourself it is very hard for someone else to love. It also can get very complicated to you to be successful in life because not everybody is going to like your way of life and can cause you problems. * On Civil Disobedience¨ * ¨if the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consider whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil; but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.¨
This quote caught my attention because it says that you should commit an injustice to others if you are in the middle of an injustice. I thought this quote was very powerful because most people look for other options rather than commit an injustice to someone. I disagree with this quote because it is no longer making a stand against a higher power; it is messing up with someone. * Civil Disobedience * “If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies; and so a man.”
This quote gave me a good example of how society works in the outside worlds. For example, if a man is not meeting the standards of a society it, like the quote says ¨it dies¨, it doesn’t die physically but you end up in the lowest point of a society where no one will show respect or remorse for you. Society is very tough but one by force knows how to response to what society wants, you end up like everybody doing the exact same thing like other individuals. * Into the Wild * “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only...from human relationships. God has placed it all around us...and all you have to do is reach for it.”
This quote tells us something very true. Many people think that you find joy or happiness by having the newest phone or by going out with the prettiest girl in school. But this people are very incorrect, happiness is found in you by connecting to the things that really matter in your life. * Into the Wild * “We like companionship, see, but we can't stand to be around people for very long. So we go get ourselves lost, come back for a while, and then get the hell out again.”
I like this quote a lot because it describes something that I do most of the time when I am in a place where I just don’t feel comfortable. The best thing to do is just go outside or somewhere that you can be alone, so you think to yourself and be calmer. Once you are calm, I think it is easier for you to communicate with others and easily engage in conversation with them. * Into the Wild * “The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences.”
This quote talks about ¨core of mans’ spirit¨ being the mind or the behavior of an individual and how it gets stronger or weaker with any event in your life. This quote can be explained better with the phrase ¨what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger¨ because both quote and phrase talk about mainly the same things. * Into the Wild * “It’s not always necessary to be strong, but to feel strong.”
I like this quote a lot because it makes me and others feel better about themselves. This is very true because society makes others think that physical power or skills can change the way we live, when in reality mental and spiritual power are the strongest virtues. Many of the great changes in our history have been by people who use their peace in mind and wisdom to make other thinks in a different way. That is why is think this quote is very powerful. * Into the Wild * “That's what was great about him. He tried. Not many do.”
This quote is describing a lot people who are very special because they may try a hundred of times and never succeed but still they tried. Unlike other individuals who never in their life they try something out of the ordinary or they are just not given the chance. This people are never remember or even respected, that is why they end up in the lowest of societies. No one wants to wait for someone who doesn’t even make an effort to make a change in their life. * Into the Wild * “Some people feel like they don't deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past.”
This quote caught my attention because it is true. Many people who are hurt in their love lives, they want to be alone to get themselves fixed. I think people shouldn´t do this. Instead they need to look for other people who can help fix that void they have in their hearts. * Into the Wild * “When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines upon you.”
When you forgive someone, you get an amazing feeling to talk to that person again. That´s what this quote is saying. “When you forgive, you love” saying that you get that relationship again with that person. “And when you love, God´s light shines upon you.” Saying that when you forgive you get that God´s like feeling. * Into the Wild * “I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong... to measure yourself at least once.”
Feeling strong doesn´t mean that you are physically strong but it does mean that you are mentally strong. In my opinion, being mentally strong is much better than being physically strong. When you are physically strong it gets harder for you to think more about yourself through the inside and that makes you easily to break mentally. Mentally strong people can support anything because what really matters is what you think about yourself. * Into the Wild * “I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth.”
This quote is very simple to understand. It basically says that we must rather have a simple life than having all of this objects that want to give us a better life. All of these objects are useless because to achieve a simple life you need to learn to live with your own life. * Into the Wild * “It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it.”
This quote says that if you want something, work for it. It is very easy for us to go ask our parents for something and wait for them to get it for us. If we do this we don´t actually deserve it. That is why we need to work for what we want and our needs. * Who Framed Roger Rabbit * "I'm not bad; I'm just drawn that way."
Many people know this movie because of the comedy in it. But many of the things and messages it sends are very true about how things are run in today’s society. People who are usually misbehave or act a certain way is not because they were born that way. Most of time the parents or the environment that surrounds are the one who make him the person that he is today.

* Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On * ¨Never ever put them down/You just lift your arms higher/Raise em till’ your arms tired/Let em’ know you’re their/That you struggling and survivin’ that you gonna persevere¨
Lupe Fiasco is suggesting people to be themselves and to become individuals, one of the most important ideals in transcendentalism. Fiasco encourages people to try their best despite whatever obstacles may be placed in their path. If people act as their true selves and don't subject themselves to others, they can accomplish anything they desire. * Stubborn Love – The Lumineers * ¨I can´t be told, ah ah it can´t be done/So keep your head up, keep your love/ keep your head up, my love¨
The lyrics of this song express the idea of optimism, one of the principles of transcendentalism. These lyrics are examples of optimism because they show the importance of staying positive and not letting things defeat you. Transcendentalist believed in being optimistic and seeing good in the world. Although the song is closer to theme of love, the aspect of optimism can still be seen. * ¨Man vs Wild¨ survival show
For this example, I didn´t use a quote because the show itself show a lot of transcendentalist ideals. In this show, Bear Gryll goes into the wilderness while learning a lot of survival strategies. This show supports the idea of self-reliance. That every man should be able to stand for themselves and not depend of other materials or other individuals. * Imagine – John Lennon * ¨Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can…No need for greed or hunger¨
The lyrics of this song have a lot or ideals that oppose the idea of materialism. In the world we live in, everything is control with money and power. This two items cause harm to innocent people and make other very attached to meaningless stuff. If this two were banned from our society, maybe that way, and only that way people might live with happiness and no worries at all. * I Believe I Can Fly – R.Kelly * "If I can see it, then I can do it,"
The lyrics of this song talk about how if you just put your mind into something, then you can accomplish that. This is a transcendentalist idea because it is telling you to just trust yourself. Which is very true because if you can imagine yourself doing that task, then you can do it. * The Earth’s Song – Michael Jackson * ¨ Did you ever stop to notice /All the blood we've shed before /Did you ever stop to notice /The crying Earth the weeping shores?¨
Michael Jackson’s song, “Earth Song” incorporates major tenets of transcendentalism. The whole song is about the importance of nature. Jackson sings about how humans have destroyed the peace of the natural world because of war and bloodshed. In the song, Jackson sings that the Earth has been hurt by humans and that nature is important. The song suggests that nature must be preserved and man must live in harmony with nature, which is a huge part of transcendentalism. The song claims that society is the source of the corruption in the world, another tenet of transcendentalism.

* Color of the Wind – Pocahontas * “You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim”
In this quote, Pocahontas rejects the idea that people can treat “nature” as something they can own. I chose this quote because in today´s world we completely go against this ideal. People just demolish other animal’s habitat and placing their homes and business there. Going against this is very difficult because most people rely in these things. * Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer * ”Now if we had the power/ to bring our neighbors home from war/ they would have never missed a Christmas/ No more ribbons on their door."

This quote stands out to me because it goes completely against the transcendentalist ideals. He explains that the individual has no real importance in the world and cannot make a difference, a view opposing the transcendentalist views of Thoreau and Emerson who believe that the individual is very important to the world. I disagree with this quote because there a lot of people making changes out there for many different causes. * Rite of Spring – Angels and Airwaves * “If I had a chance for another try, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s made me all of who I am inside. And if I could thank God that I am here and that I am alive. And every day I wake, I tell myself a little harmless lie: the whole wide world is mine.”
I like this quote because it says that every event that happens to someone shape you to what you are today. Also that you should be happy for all the things that happened to you because that is what made you different from others. This tells me that every day when your day starts you should have a mentally that anything is possible. * American Idiot – Green Day * "Everything isn't meant to be okay./ Television dreams of tomorrow./ We're not the ones meant to follow"
This quote reflects the idea that we are each individual and have our own purpose in life. Some may not know exactly what theirs is while others do. I strongly agree with this because many people relay a lot on the media. They see how celebrities are and how they act, so we get that feeling of being like them. In my opinion, almost everyone is influenced by the media one way or another. * Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol * "We'll do it all/ everything on our own/ we don't need anything/ or anyone"
This quote contains transcendental ideas throughout the song through the idea that one must rely first on himself and his own knowledge before listening to the ideas of others. These lyrics reveal that all you really need to survive is yourself and nothing more. I think that when someone just relays on himself it is easier for him to reach a happier life and simplicity. * What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong * “I see skies of blue..... Clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights and I think to myself.....what a wonderful world.”
This quote just gives us a great example of how someone can really appreciate nature in a very simple way. Once in awhile, we need to stop and look around us and see what nature really looks like. Step away from society and reach complete silence to really experience what nature really feels likes. This quote tells me that every day when I wake up, I would start the day with a new sun, like if I was reborn.