Emerson’s Self-Reliance Still Sheds Light on Today’s Political Environment
“Of the two great parties which at this hour almost share the nation between them, I should say that one has the best cause, and the other contains the best men.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance & Other Essays)
The country is divided. Politics is at the center of this divide. Emerson wrote that over 180 years ago. Back then, we had the predecessors of today’s prominent parties. Who was he talking about? Which party has the best cause? Which party has the best representatives?
There is no easy answer. Emerson was a man ahead of his time. He was an abolitionist at a time when slavery was still legal. He preached self-reliance, even though most people were content to rely on someone else. He saw the good in people, even when they were doing bad things.
It is very easy to succumb to the pressures of politics and pick a side. And once you pick a side, anything that challenges “your” beliefs seems like a personal attack. That is destructive behavior.
We should try to do the same. We should see the best in people, even when they are Democrats or Republicans. Only then can we have a conversation that will lead to progress. Only then can we move forward as a country.
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In times like these, it is always best to think for yourself. Do not outsource your thinking to anyone else. Many people do this unknowingly because it is all too convenient. It is much easier to believe what someone else tells you than to think for yourself. Thinking for yourself is not always easy, but it is always worth it in the end.
This is something that Emerson was well aware of. He famously wrote about self-reliance in his essay of the same name. For Emerson, self-reliance is being able to think for oneself despite the noise that exists. The noise will derail you from what you believe to be the truth. Do not succumb to the noise. Do not avoid the noise. Draw your own conclusions.
In these tumultuous times, it is more important than ever to think for yourself. Don’t outsource your thinking to anyone else — not the media, not your friends or family, and especially not your favorite celebrity or politician. Believe me, I know it’s tempting and much easier to just go with the flow, but it’s always worth taking the time to form your own opinions.
Thinking for yourself isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it in the end. So please — take a deep breath, put on your thinking cap, and start questioning everything you hear.
