Self Reliance and Other Essays

After reading Self Reliance what do you think Emerson's beliefs are toward conformity?

from Self-Reliance
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Last updated by jill d #170087
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Emerson wants everyone to be confident in himself; like Thoreau he thought each person marched to a different drummer.  He was not a fan of conformity and did not want to be the same as everyone else.

Emerson supports individualism and trusting one's own instincts, he does not advise people to conform to the expectations around them. In fact, he encourages individualism and credits individual thought with greatness. 

Source(s)

Self Reliance