StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Self-Reliance Issues - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The essay "Self-Reliance Issues" focuses on the critical analysis of the major issues in the notion of self-reliance. As Emerson states, self-reliance is the ability of an individual to be free from external influence so that he/she can pursue the goals internally set by the individual…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.9% of users find it useful
Self-Reliance Issues
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Self-Reliance Issues"

Conformity, consistency, and regret are three of the barriers to self-reliance (“Self-Reliance”). People tend to conform to societal expectations and in an attempt of doing so, lose track of their personal goals and desires. Consistency is stated as a barrier to self-reliance because it deprives an individual of the opportunity to experience new things in life, challenge the beliefs inculcated into him/her by others which are required to make informed decisions, and develop more skills. Consistency is repetition and it is a barrier to creativity and innovation, hence also a barrier to self-reliance. Regret is a barrier to self-reliance because it is regressive in effect and does not make any valuable contribution to an individual’s life. It is good to regret but only to the extent that the individual realizes where he/she has done the mistake so that it can be corrected in the future. Regretting about things that the individual cannot do anything about is not productive.

I can relate to Emerson’s viewpoint on the barriers to self-reliance. I love meat but in an attempt to conform to the expectations of most members of my family who are true vegetarians and consider it ethically unjustified to eat meat, I have remained a vegetarian going against my nature for a long time. I do physical workouts quite often. I have noticed that I need to keep changing the ways I do physical workouts to maintain my interest in the exercise. The same kind of exercise done repeatedly becomes boring. Likewise, consistency in anything creates room for boredom. My grandfather died a few years ago. I often regret not having spent much time talking to him while he was alive. This regret and realization have made me more caring and loving toward the elderly. I have constructively used my regret to achieve self-reliance rather than letting it become a barrier to that.

Steps I can take to achieve self-reliance include taking measures to remove the barriers to self-reliance. This could mean placing confidence in my ideas, trying new things in life, and developing immunity to the sufferings I have no control over. A self-reliant life today might not look the best to outsiders, but it is satisfying emotionally and spiritually for the individual living it. I agree with the ideas of Emerson. However, consistency in good things like praying or exercising regularly should never be abandoned. The attempts to achieve self-reliance should be positive and constructive.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Self-Reliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Self-Reliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/english/1659622-self-reliance
(Self-Reliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Self-Reliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/english/1659622-self-reliance.
“Self-Reliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/english/1659622-self-reliance.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Self-Reliance Issues

Herman Melvilles Billy Budd and Ralph Waldo Emersons Self Reliance

Overall, Herman Melville's Billy Budd and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self Reliance both identify societal issues that speak to the inequalities and resulting depravity of human nature in a manner that illuminates for the reader a sense of understanding about the importance of self reliance and spiritual awareness.... With that said, a close look will be taken into the character of Billy Budd to identify how he can be seen as the personification of Emerson's theories, and more, to define the societal issues of the depravity of human nature....
3 Pages (750 words) Book Report/Review

Self Reliance

Running head: self-reliance AND LEADERSHIP self-reliance and Leadership Author name Date Introduction For a person being a leader, one of the most integral qualities to have is being self-reliant.... Although, self-reliance sounds pretty simple, the process of enacting it requires a humongous amount of dedication and an incredible attitude (Yeoman, 1999).... self-reliance – how to get that?... The primary necessity for the presence of self-reliance in a leader is to understand what one is capable of doing and believe in the virtues of his/her values....
4 Pages (1000 words) Term Paper

Billy Budd by Herman Melville and Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Name Professor Course Date Billy Budd by Herman Melville and self-reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson Introduction The narration Billy Budd portrays numerous personalities, but the focal personality is Billy.... Additionally, Billy depicts most of the lessons from the narration.... ... ...
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Ralph Waldo Emerson's Idea of Self-Reliance in Henry David Thoreaus Writings

Ralph Waldo Emerson first drew the idea of self-reliance, individualism and independence in his writing.... One specific introduction of self-reliance is seen in “Where I lived and what I lived for”, and another bright illustration can be seen in “Civil Disobedience”.... The only factor that contributes to success and personal growth is self-reliance.... Thoreau emphasizes self-reliance as a key factor....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Relevance of Individualism in Life Today

Individualism entails a number of issues including individual's freedom of choice, self-reliance, autonomy, and self-responsibility, which are virtues that uniquely identifies an individual from collectivism.... The most important virtue of individualism is self-reliance that Emerson extensively explains in details.... Individuals past thoughts, decisions, and achievements as a success following self-reliance are different as time goes on whereby, other factors contribute towards individualisms such as sociology, western civilization, education, and region....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Rule of Self-Reliance in the Nineteenth Century Literature

Various writers have promoted self-reliance wherein interrelationships of individuals among others are concealed, but still unveiled in an optimistic manner.... This paper seeks to analyze three literary works, such as Walden or Life in the Woods, self-reliance, and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, authored by Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Frederick Douglass, respectively in the nineteenth century.... Humanity is said to be interconnected with one another, but in the nineteenth century, many of literary works have secluded this concept and embraced self-reliance....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Australia Defense Policy

This can be basically explained by the increasing global security issues such as threats from terrorism as well as the associated fear of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists which are posing serious security challenges.... One of the major factors is based on the fact that the government policy of self-reliance offers priority to the capability of Australia to defend itself using its own resources.... As a result, a self-reliance defense policy ensures the country gains a foothold within its own territory in addition to extracting a political concession from within, through the use of its military force....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Takeovers and Securities Industry Law

This paper will discuss the investor protection issues and state which is and should be the underlying rationale for the regime regulating the provision of financial advice in Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Bergman & Nicolaievsky 2).... The paper "Takeovers and Securities Industry Law" highlights that there are the rationales such as the rationale for the prohibition against insider trading and the legislative history under the disclosure regime....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us