Henry David Thoreau And Self Reliance Essay

, Research Paper Henry David Thoreau decided at a relatively young age to use his life as an experiment in self-education . His optimistic views on life and his goal-oriented lifestyle is reflected in his writing. In Where I Lived, and What I Lived For , Thoreau writes about his appreciation for his tattered little abode, which was only a defense against the outer environmental elements. Though the wind blows through the house, he hears it as though it were a song from the gods on Olympus. He recognizes his misfortunes, and is content with the way things are. In a lot of ways, Thoreau reminds me of how I wish I could be, and how Ralph Waldo Emerson encourages the entire human race to be. Thoreau focused his life around only the essential things, and lived as though life was a reflection of an inner spiritual reality. Thoreau lived the way he did, in search of what it truly is that men live for. Simplicity was his only necessity. It is my understanding that throughout American history, our authors and poets were typically philosophers who spent their lives in attempts to better the lives of others by conquering that which affects us negatively. Thoreau was such a man. We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us . It is in this statement that Thoreau portrays that people as a society make decisions, and we can either decide to sit and ponder the day away in attempts to make our lives better, or work away our lives. But if we do not get out leepers, and forge rails, and devote days and nights to work, but go tinkering upon our lives to improve them, who will build the railroads? In conclusion, it is my understanding from researching Henry David Thoreau and many other American writers of his time that he was much like the rest; he was the self-reliant nonconformist that Emerson urged all people to be . He secluded himself in order to explore the depths of human thought, character, and emotion. In his seclusion, he was capable of influencing mass amounts of people, even to this day as his name is written in history books and text books across the country. Self-Reliance prompts the deep exploration of oneself. It urges you to understand the divine self inside each of us, and deliver yourself from the false bonds that hold you accountable to who you pretend to or appear to be. It is not the impression of others, but rather the understatement of ourselves that causes us to sell ourselves short of our full potential, by playing the part of someone higher or more accepted by society. Emerson reveals some of himself in his writings in order to give a portrayal of that which he is trying to explain. He encourages that in order to gain a true perception of who you are, you must search deeply for an understanding of whence you came; your values, heritage, and traditions which formulate your being. In seems from examination of Emerson s life, that he was an individualist. He appeared to be more content with examining the patterns of human thought and emotion than to live it for himself. Regardless, it is my view that Emerson was a brilliant man, defining the word enlightened with numerous passages regarding life, intertwined with spirituality and nature.