~ 1841 ~
"Self-Reliance", an essay by American philosopher and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, emphasizes the importance of individualism and self-reliance. It promotes the notion that individuals must avoid conformity and follow their own instincts and ideas instead of blindly following institutions and societal norms. Emerson insists that "trust thyself" and encourages readers to free themselves from the constraints of conformity. The essay touches on themes such as nonconformity, spirituality, individualism, and the conflict between originality and imitation. Emerson helped start the Transcendentalist movement, which drew upon ideas of Romanticism, Unitarianism, and German Idealism to celebrate nature, individualism, and reform. The essay has since become one of Emerson's most famous works.