Ralph Waldo Emerson once said something that I found interesting. He said to “Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self. There is something which you can do better than another. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that. Do the things at which you are great, not what you were never made for.” He also said “To believe in your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men”. What I feel the meaning is behind the first quote is to start focusing on yourself, and to not try and fit in with Society. Additionally you shouldn’t feel like you can’t do something because if you work hard enough, you can do better than the others.

The main issue that Emerson is addressing is that, people try to “fit in” with society when they shouldn’t. Additionally you shouldn’t do what someone wants you to do, you should do what you think you are great at and stick with that. Another issue he is addressing is that people don’t think for themselves and believe what they’re told, but don’t believe what they think is right. Since Emerson is claiming all these things, he is assuming that this is a common problem within society and no one is doing anything about. So he had to be blunt and start telling everyone how he feels.

There are strengths in what Emerson is saying, what he says is pretty inspiring, it makes me feel like I should work on myself and worry less of what society wants out of me and thinks of me. I think Emerson did a good job of trying to get his message through to people’s heads. But there also can be counter-claims to what Emerson is saying. Someone may feel like that they aren’t pretty enough physically for society and can’t talk to anyone, how would that person better themselves and be able to socialize with people. Also what if someone feels like they really aren’t good at anything and has no way to contribute to society, what can that person do? Or what if someone doesn’t believe in god, but his family insists that god is real and that they must prey each and every day, along with going to church. How does that person believe what he wants to believe when they are forced to do what his family wants to do. In reality there are a lot of counter-claims that can be made to what Emerson is saying, but it’s up to the people to figure out themselves how to rely on themselves and not worry about others and their thinking’s. After all one of Emerson’s points is to think for yourself.