Mrs. Carroll
English 11 CP
8 March, 2010
The Most Powerful Force in the World: The Human Mind The Romanticism time period was a huge contributor to what literature is today. It was one of the first forms of American writing which was spread and read throughout the United States. The view points during this time period however were very different. Some wrote as Transcendentalists who were very optimistic about the world and believed everyone was naturally good. On the other hand, there were the Anti-Transcendentalists who were pessimistic about the world and only saw the evils a person brings. But the correct view at this time was the Transcendentalists in that the human mind was the most powerful force in the universe. The Transcendentalists believed that the human mind was the most powerful force in the world and believed the human mind could unlock any problem no matter how tough. According to most scientists “the brain is the source of all our behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and experiences” (Cox). This shows that the brain controls everything that people do, think, and say. Therefore, it is the mind is definitely a powerful force if it controls every ones actions and feelings. Second, in the story “Self-Reliance” it explains how powerful the mind is and how being an individual is so important to society. “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 391). In this quote Emerson describes how important it is to trust yourself and use the mind to the fullest. And in doing so, you become an individual with your own thoughts and you are able to show off how powerful one’s mind can be. Although people might contradict or criticize someone’s beliefs, humans must show their own personality. Without people going against what others thought was wrong and not using their own mind, the world would never have the knowledge it has today. So much knowledge is in the world today. If it was not for the Newton’s, the Galileo’s, or