What Makes A Transcendentalist?

People should not view life as just one color, but in multiple colors. In order to succeed, some people feel as though we need to conform to society. Most succeed when adapting to the ways of society, but in order to truly accomplish what we want in life, we need to stray away from the “normal” and choose our own individual path. A unique person may not always have crazy hair or clothing, but may also be someone who follows their own road. Living as a transcendentalist means becoming your own self and not letting society tell one how to live their life. The Dead Poet’s Society by Peter Weir and works by Emerson and Thoreau all show that if a person follows their heart and stands up for what they believe in, they become one with themselves and
In Dead Poet’s Society, John Keating, an english teacher, believes completely in the transcendental lifestyle. He feels standing up for what one believes in and challenging everyday life allows for a better life. During one of Keating’s teachings, he stands on his desk to show his class that “we must constantly look at things in a different way" (Weir). Keating explains that going along with society allows for no change, that we need to go against the normal and think outside of the box. Looking at things in various ways helps people learn and discover new ideas. In another teaching lesson Keating states, “… you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all" (Weir). By the time we become adults, we have already chosen whether or not we will flow with or against society. He says that we need to find our own voice early on in life because if one waits until the last minute to decide, it makes it harder to believe in ourselves. Leaving the corrupt society allows us to connect better with ourselves and