Matthew Cunanan

Molly Fenn

English 3/4

October 15, 2015

Self-Reliance: To Be or Not To Be

Throughout the Transcendentalist movement that occurred, various theories and topics were gathered and became thought-provoking, thoroughly considered, for each idea was deemed significant. One that stood out in particular was the matter of self-reliance, which became very intriguing once Ralph Waldo Emerson experienced a self-reliant life, and thus it became introduced. The theme of self-reliance was the belief in which humanity did not need to become dependent in society, government, technology. and whatnot, however to become self-dependent, with focus on individualism. However, the concern here is whether or not becoming entirely self-reliant enables an effective lifestyle, due to limited capabilities. To be self-reliant to a certain extent is necessary. such as generating your own thoughts, and not just becoming a follower of trends. But the question is, should we be self-reliant like Emerson, in which he isolated himself from all humanity, basically enduring a life in which he was the only individual around his environment, maintaining stability in life, and enjoying nature daily? Perhaps not literally that life exactly, however one equivalent to that extreme extent. If not thinking of self-reliance in that way, then yes it is necessary. Self-reliance is indeed a necessity and a significantly essential characteristic to possess, allowing dominance of one’s personal life, obtaining diverse skills, and attaining peace and happiness, for there will not always be another individual or group to depend on in life.

When undergoing metacognition, it is indeed more pleasing to realize that you are thinking for yourself, not simply copying others or following a trend. Self-reliance allows you to generate your own thoughts, without the addition of unnecessary influences. The expertise in the matter of self-reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson, conveys this multiple times. “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men - that is genius” (Emerson, “Self Reliance” 19). It is indeed genius to comprise of personal thought, and perhaps gain a following simply due to standing up for yourself and holding confidence in your ideas. Humans in general share many common links, however simultaneously share many unique differences. “Man is his own star; and the soul that can render an honest and a perfect man, commands all light, all influence, all fate”(Emerson, “Self Reliance” 19). Those who are simply followers are “refuse[d] this appeal from the man to his action.” (Emerson, “Self Reliance” 23). For what man has his own action if he isn’t self-reliant?

It isn’t completely fallacious to have reliance on others, especially our own limited capabilities fail us at times. Many possess more knowledge than us when it comes to specific fields. However, those in the political parties may be so powerful and intelligent that they may be even taking advantage of us. Therefore, self-reliance is necessary because the government is deceitful. It is up to us to justify the rights and wrongs of society, not simply laws or commands. “What if a financial crisis made it impossible for the government to continue to provide him with the basics of life?” (Terrence P. Jeffrey) If government has problems, which it does, we must become self-reliant, for this is the only solution. “Or what if the government decided to use its leverage over people who are dependent on it to free them to do things morally wrong?” Here is where they take advantage, and/or force you to do things morally wrong. Being self-reliant allows you to select what is correct or what is evil, and if we are good Samaritans, we will be reasonable with our choices. “Today, for example, the federal government is telling all Americans that they must buy health insurance”. This is rather controversial. This law you should do your best to abide by, unless you completely disagree with it. However doing so will make you suffer the consequences.

Self-reliance permits peace and quiet. When you don’t associate yourself with anyone, your life is more peaceful; less people will bother or disrupt you. When you are self-reliant, no one is your dictator. There are many characteristics and skills you can obtain by yourself, through personal experience, not with anyone’s help. “There is the man and his virtues”(Emerson, “Self Reliance” 22).

The topic of self-reliance is indeed intriguing and thought-provoking. You can’t really say yes or no to it. Self-reliance is indeed necessary, however to an extent. You can’t simply go “Into the Wild” and seek survival, for you’ll eventually reach your downfall. However, if you completely rely on others, and not yourself, it is easy to be deceived, or taken advantage of. But, self-reliance is completely necessary and an extremely important trait to have because there will not always be another individual or group to depend on in life. Therefore, to have friends and acquaintances is very essential in this life, and to not have friends can lead to a very lonesome, sad life, and not enough references in life to learn experiences from. You need people in life, however self-reliance in this case is also necessary, and you must learn to know how to do things by yourself, and you must learn how to solve problems individually, because you never know, you could be the only person around. If you were the only person in the world, could you survive? Would you be able to accomplish certain tasks that you usually can when people are around to help you? It is very important you gain the skills you need in life to help you out. In conclusion, the skill of self-reliance leads to other broken down skills, and is indeed needed in this life.

Works Cited

Jeffrey, Terrence P “Only the Self-Reliant Remain Free” cnsnews.com, November 2013       Web. 16 October 2014. <http://cnsnews.com/commentary/terence-p-jeffrey/only-self-reliant-remain-free

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993. Print.

Into the Wild. Dir. Sean Penn. Perf. Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, and Catherine Keener. Paramount Vantage, 2007. Film