Emerson was born in Boston on May 25th, 1803. At a young age he and his siblings lost their father and were raised by their single mother. He studied in public schools, boardinghouses, and finally at Harvard he obtained a teaching degree. As a result of his failure to be a successful schoolmaster, and of a great religious experience, Emerson grew in his Christian faith and became a preacher.

What's more, he acknowledged that each individual has the potential to be something great. He advocated expressing our individuality and uniqueness to set ourselves apart from the crowd. He stressed that we should not be followers, like chickens without a head, but should take the initiative in making our own choices. For example, one of Emerson's most profound analysis is the following: "There is time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance and that imitation is suicide"(1127). He shows us that we need not be constantly looking at what others have and comparing it to our own possessions. Emerson alludes to the misconception of love and understands the deceptive nature of desire when he states the following: "What we love, that we have, but by desire we bereave ourselves to the love" (1137). Imitation is a result of jealousy. "This indicates how the dynamics of desire lead to forfeiture of rightful ownership and weakness of power" (Joswick 517). We should instead be happy for others and be satisfied and proud of what we own. His reference to suicide creates a powerful link between imitation and losing one's identity. Emerson thought that our loved ones should accept us as we are, and that this would make us happier. If we continuously concentrate on other's material belongings, we lose a piece of what makes us what we are.

Emerson is recognized for many of the principles and philosophical points emphasized in this work. The famous quote that intrigues me the most and helps to establish what Emerson thought's represents is, "To be great is to be misunderstood"(Emerson 1137). The continuous timelessness of this quote is as much in effect today as it was when the essay was first published. He used it to explain the growth of conceptions and ideas in his generation; yet powerful political figures and individuals who failed to see the reality of it criticized the acceptance of his concept. Society during Emerson's time resisted reform and scorned the reformer, therefore making it difficult for them to accept Emerson's point. Just because they could not comprehend the person's choice to go against society's norms and open up to his or her own sense of individuality, this did not mean that that individual was an outcast and deserved any less respect than any other human being. To these conservatives the easiest and most effective way to learn was through memorization and the repetition of facts that had been recorded in the past by generations before them. Emerson's quote demonstrates the lack of acceptance by society to new thoughts and theories during his time.

Finally, and this is most important, Emerson emphasizes that we should not expect or ask anything of man (1143). If we put our faith in people who wouldn't even think twice before backstabbing us if it were to their advantage, then we would lead our lives being naive. When we allow ourselves to be dictated to by another, sooner or later those people realize they have us wrapped around their finger, and serious problems could arise. People start to take advantage of one another, and then, when confronted, they act as if nothing has happened. Emerson felt that reliance on government indicated a lack of self-reliance. To live constantly having the lower hand for fear of society is not the way Americans should live. We were given freedom and independence to make decisions and take part in activities that we choose. Some people are so reliant on others that they can't even tell what their favorite food is. This is mainly because they are so accustomed to just following the crowd that they do what everyone else does.

Furthermore, he believed that when doing a job or engaging in work, in order for us to be satisfied, we will need to put in a one hundred percent effort. Nobody knows what we are capable of doing, unless we demonstrate it to them in a physical, not an abstract manner. In the same context, w

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Approximate Word count = 2741
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)