EmersonsSelfReliance爱默生自立.docx

EmersonsSelfReliance爱默生自立.docx

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EmersonsSelfReliance爱默生自立

Emerson'sSelf-Reliance

ThisisthefulltextofRalphWaldoEmerson'sessay,Self-Reliance.Emersonusesseveralwordsthatarenotincommonusetoday.You'llfindthedefinitionsofthosewordsbysimplyclickingonthem（you'llseetheyareunderlined.Self-Reliancewasarevelationinitsdayanditiscompletelyrelevanttoday.IfyouhavetroubleunderstandingwhatRalphWaldoEmersonhaswritten,readthisfirst:

Self-RelianceTranslatedIntoModernEnglish.

Self-Reliance

IREADTHEOTHERDAYSOMEVERSESwrittenbyaneminentpainterwhichwereoriginalandnotconventional.Alwaysthesoulhearsanadmonitioninsuchlines,letthesubjectbewhatitmay.Thesentimenttheyinstillisofmorevaluethananythoughttheymaycontain.Tobelieveyourownthought,tobelievethatwhatistrueforyouinyourprivateheartistrueforallmen,—thatisgenius.Speakyourlatentconviction,anditshallbetheuniversalsense;foralwaystheinmostbecomestheoutmost—andourfirstthoughtisrenderedbacktousbythetrumpetsoftheLastJudgement.Familiarasthevoiceofthemindistoeach,thehighestmeritweascribetoMoses,PlatoandMiltonisthattheysetatnaughtbooksandtraditions,andspokenotwhatmen,butwhattheythought.Amanshouldlearntodetectandwatchthatgleamoflightwhichflashesacrosshismindfromwithin,morethanthelusterofthefirmamentofbardsandsages.Yethedismisseswithoutnoticehisthought,becauseitishis.Ineveryworkofgeniuswerecognizeourownrejectedthoughts;theycomebacktouswithacertainalienatedmajesty.Greatworksofarthavenomoreaffectinglessonforusthanthis.Theyteachustoabidebyourspontaneousimpressionwithgood-humoredinflexibilitythenmostwhenthewholecryofvoicesisontheotherside.Elsetomorrowastrangerwillsaywithmasterlygoodsensepreciselywhatwehavethoughtandfeltallthetime,andweshallbeforcedtotakewithshameourownopinionfromanother.

Thereisatimeineveryman'seducationwhenhearrivesattheconvictionthatenvyisignorance;thatimitationissuicide;thathemusttakehimselfforbetterforworseashisportion;thatthoughthewideuniverseisfullofgood,nokernelofnourishingcorncancometohimbutthroughhistoilbestowedontheplotofgroundwhichisgivenhimtotill.Thepowerwhichresidesinhimisnewinnature,andnonebutheknowswhatthatiswhichhecando,nordoesheknowuntilhehastried.Notfornothingoneface,onecharacter,onefact,makesmuchimpressiononhim,andanothernone.Itisnotwithoutpre-establishedharmony,thissculptureinthememory.Theeyewasplacedwhereonerayshouldfall,thatitmighttestifyofthatparticularray.Bravelylethimspeaktheutmostsyllableofhisconfession.Webuthalfexpressourselves,andareashamedofthatdivineideawhicheachofusrepresents.Itmaybesafelytrustedasproportionateandofgoodissues,soitbefaithfullyimparted,butGodwillnothavehisworkmademanifestbycowards.Itneedsadivinemantoexhibitanythingdivine.Amanisrelievedandgaywhenhehasputhisheartintohisworkanddonehisbest;butwhathehassaidordoneotherwiseshallgivehimnopeace.Itisadeliverancewhichdoesnotdeliver.Intheattempthisgeniusdesertshim;nomusebefriends;noinvention,nohope.

Trustthyself:

everyheartvibratestothatironstring.Accepttheplacethedivineprovidencehasfoundforyou,thesocietyofyourcontemporaries,theconnectionofevents.Greatmenhavealwaysdoneso,andconfidedthemselveschildliketothegeniusoftheirage,betrayingtheirperceptionthattheEternalwasstirringattheirheart,workingthroughtheirhands,predominatinginalltheirbeing.Andwearenowmen,andmustacceptinthehighestmindthesametranscendentdestiny;andnotpinchedinacorner,notcowardsfleeingbeforearevolution,butredeemersandbenefactors,piousaspirantstobenobleclayundertheAlmightyeffortletusadvanceonChaosandthedark.

Whatprettyoraclesnatureyieldsusonthistextinthefaceandbehaviorofchildren,babes,andevenbrutes.Thatdividedandrebelmind,thatdistrustofasentimentbecauseourarithmetichascomputedthestrengthandmeansopposedtoourpurpose,thesehavenot.Theirmindbeingwhole,theireyeisasyetunconquered,andwhenwelookintheirfaces,wearedisconcerted.Infancyconformstonobody;allconformtoit;sothatonebabecommonlymakesfourorfiveoutoftheadultswhoprattleandpraytoit.SoGodhasarmedyouthandpubertyandmanhoodnolesswithitsownpiquancyandcharm,andmadeitenviableandgraciousanditsclaimsnottobeputby,ifitwillstandbyitself.Donotthinktheyouthhasnoforce,becausehecannotspeaktoyouandme.Hark!

inthenextroomwhospokesoclearandemphatic?

Itseemsheknowshowtospeaktohiscontemporaries.GoodHeaven!

itishe!

itisthatverylumpofbashfulnessandphlegmwhichforweekshasdonenothingbuteatwhenyouwereby,butnowrollsoutthesewordslikebell-strokes.Itseemsheknowshowtospeaktohiscontemporaries.Bashfulorboldthen,hewillknowhowtomakeusseniorsveryunnecessary.

Thenonchalanceofboyswhoaresureofadinner,andwoulddisdainasmuchasalordtodoorsayaughttoconciliateone,isthehealthyattitudeofhumannature.Howisaboythemasterofsociety;independent,irresponsible,lookingoutfromhiscorneronsuchpeopleandfactsaspassby,hetriesandsentencesthemontheirmerits,intheswift,summarywayofboys,asgood,bad,interesting,silly,eloquent,troublesome.Hecumbershimselfneveraboutconsequences,aboutinterests;hegivesanindependent,genuineverdict.Youmustcourthim;hedoesnotcourtyou.Butthemanisasitwereclappedintojailbyhisconsciousness.Assoonashehasonceactedorspokenwithéclatheisacommittedperson,watchedbythesympathyorthehatredofhundreds,whoseaffectionsmustnowenterintohisaccount.ThereisnoLetheforthis.Ah,thathecouldpassagainintohisneutral,godlikeindependence!

Whocanthusloseallpledgeand,havingobserved,observeagainfromthesameunaffected,unbiased,unbribable,unaffrightedinnocence,mustalwaysbeformidable,mustalwaysengagethepoet'sandtheman'sregards.Ofsuchanimmortalyouththeforcewouldbefelt.Hewouldutteropinionsonallpassingaffairs,whichbeingseentobenotprivatebutnecessary,wouldsinklikedartsintotheearofmenandputtheminfear.

Thesearethevoiceswhichwehearinsolitude,buttheygrowfaintandinaudibleasweenterintotheworld.Societyeverywhereisinaconspiracyagainstthemanhoodofeveryoneofitsmembers.Societyisajoint-stockcompany,inwhichthemembersagreeforthebettersecuringofhisbreadtoeachshareholder,tosurrenderthelibertyandcultureoftheeater.Thevirtueinmostrequestisconformity.Self-relianceisitsaversion.Itlovesnotrealitiesandcreators,butnamesandcustoms.

Whosowouldbeaman,mustbeanon-conformist.Hewhowouldgatherimmortalpalmsmustnotbehinderedbythenameofgoodness,butmustexploreifitbegoodness.Nothingisatlastsacredbuttheintegrityofyourownmind.Absolveyoutoyourself,andyoushallhavethesuffrageoftheworld.IrememberananswerwhichwhenquiteyoungIwaspromptedtomakeavaluedadviserwhowaswonttoimportunemewiththedearolddoctrinesofthechurch.Onmysaying,WhathaveItodowiththesacrednessoftraditions,ifIlivewhollyfromwithin?

myfriendsuggested,—"Buttheseimpulsesmaybefrombelow,notfromabove."Ireplied,'Theydonotseemtometobesuch;butifIamthedevil'schild,Iwilllivethenfromthedevil.'Nolawcanbesacredtomebutthatofmynature.Goodandbadarebutnamesveryreadilytransferabletothatorthis;theonlyrightiswhatisaftermyconstitution;theonlywrongwhatisagainstit.Amanistocarryhimselfinthepresenceofalloppositionasifeverythingweretitularandephemeralbuthe.Iamashamedtothinkhoweasilywecapitulatetobadgesandnames,tolargesocietiesanddeadinstitutions.Everydecentandwell-spokenindividualaffectsandswaysmemorethanisright.Ioughttogouprightandvital,andspeaktherudetruthinallways.Ifmaliceandvanitywearthecoatofphilanthropy,shallthatpass?

IfanangrybigotassumesthisbountifulcauseofAbolition,andcomestomewithhislastnewsfromBarbados,whyshouldInotsaytohim,'Golovethyinfant;lovethywood-chopper;begood-naturedandmodest;havethatgrace;andnevervarnishyourhard,uncharitableambitionwiththisincredibletendernessforblackfolkathousandmilesoff.Thyloveafarisspiteathome.'Roughandgracelesswouldbesuchagreeting,buttruthishandsomerthantheaffectationoflove.Yourgoodnessmusthavesomeedgetoit,—elseitisnone.Thedoctrineofhatredmustbepreached,asthecounteractionofthedoctrineoflove,whenthatpulesandwhines.Ishunfatherandmotherandwifeandbrotherwhenmygeniuscallsme.Iwouldwriteonthelintelsofthedoor-post,Whim.Ihopeitissomewhatbetterthanwhimatlast,butwecannotspendthedayinexplanation.ExpectmenottoshowcausewhyIseekorwhyexcludecompany.Then,again,donottellme,asagoodmandidtoday,ofmyobligationtoputallpoormeningoodsituations.Aretheymypoor?

ItelltheethoufoolishphilanthropistthatIgrudgethedollar,thedime,thecentIgivetosuchmenasdonotbelongtomeandtowhomIdonotbelong.ThereisaclassofpersonstowhombyallspiritualaffinityIamboughtandsold;forthemIwillgotoprisonifneedbe;butyourmiscellaneouspopularcharities;theeducationatthecollegeoffools;the