Publisher's Synopsis
"Self-Reliance" is an essay written by American philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts and ideas. It is the source of one of Emerson's most famous quotations: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." "Self-Reliance" is one of Emerson's most famous essays. Emerson wrote on "individualism, personal responsibility, and nonconformity. "Self-Reliance" is Emerson's compilation of many years' works and the archetype for his transcendental philosophies. Emerson presupposes that the mind is initially subject to an unhappy conformism. Throughout the essay he gives a defense for his famous catch-phrase "Trust thyself." This argument follows three major points: the self-contained genius, the disapproval of the world, and the value of self-worth. THINK & GROW RICH - BOOK CLUB MUST READ
