n
Q
Se f T li a
ce
believe your o w n
thought to believe
that what is true for you in your priv ate
— that is geniu s
heart i s true fo r all m e n
'a m il iar as the voice of the m ind i s to each the
h i g h es t m er i t w e ascribe to Mo se s 'lato and
Milton is that they se t at naught boo k s and tra
but w hat they
s and spo k e not w hat m e n
di ti o n
though t
shoul d l earn to dete ct and w atch that
' m an
glea m of ligh t w hich flashes acro ss his m ind fro m
t of
w ithin m ore than the lu stre of the fi rm am e n
bard s and sages Y e t he dis m isse s w ithout notice
his thought becau se it is h is
In every w or k of genius w e recogni z e our
reje ct ed thoughts : they c ome bac k to u s
ow n
with a certain al ienated m ajesty ' reat wor k s
of art have no m ore a ffe ct ing l esson fo r u s than
this They tea c h us to abide by our spontaneous
'
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
[5]
Self
n
R
e/i a
ce
i m pres sion w ith good humored in flexibility then
m os t when the w hole cry ofvoices is on th e other
' l s e t o m orrow a s t ranger w ill say with
s ide
m asterly good sense precisely w hat we have felt
a n
d though t all the ti m e and w e shall be forced to
ta k e w ith sha m e our o w n
opinion from another
Ther e is a time in every m an s education when
or
he arrives at th e c onvi ct ion th at e nvy is i g n
ance 'that imitation is suicide 'that he m u st ta k e
hi m self for be tter for w orse a s h is portion 'tha t
though the wide universe is full ofgood no k ernel
of nouri shing corn can come to h i m but through
h i s t oil b esto w ed on that pl o t of groun d w hich
is given h i m to till The power which resides in
him i s n
e w in nature and n one b u t h e k now s
w hat that is w hich he can do nor does he k no w
u ntil he has tried
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron
string Accept the place the D ivine 'rovid e nce
has fo un d for yo u 'th e so ciety of your conte m
o rari e s the conn exion of events
reat
m
en
'
p
have al w ays don e so and co nfided them selv e s
chil dl i k e to th e genius of th eir ag e b etraying
,
.
,
.
’
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
[
6
]
Self
n
R
e
li a
ce
their perc e ption tha t the 'ternal was stirring at
their heart w or k ing through their hands pre
do m inating in
all their being
—
Ho w i s a boy the m aster of so c i e tyl inde
pen dent irre sp onsible loo k ing from h is corner
on such peopl e and fa cts as pass by he tries and
sentence s the m on their merit s in the s w ift su m
mary way of boys as good bad int e re sting silly
el oquen t troubl eso m e H e cu m bers hi m self
never about con sequences ab ou t in teres ts : he
gives an independent genuine v e rdiCt Y o u m ust
court h i m : he do es n o t cour t you 'u t the m an
i s as it w ere clapped in to ja il by his conscious
ness As soon as he has once aéte d or spo k en w ith
eclat he is a co m m itted per son watched by the
fe c
sy m pathy or the hatred of hundred s whose af
tions m ust n
o w en t er in t o h is account
Society everywhere is in con spiracy agains t the
manhood of every one of its m e m bers Society is
—
a join t stoc k co m pany in w hich th e me m ber s
agree for the b e tter s e curing of h is bread to each
shareholder to surrender the liberty and culture
of the eater The virtue in m ost reque st is con
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
‘
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
[ 7]
,
Sell/
n
Re
li a
ce
for m ity Self reliance is its aver sion I t love s n
ot
realitie s and crea tor s b u t na m e s and cu sto m s
Who so w oul d b e a m an
must b e a nonc on
fo rm ist He w h o would ga ther i m mortal palms
mu st not be hindered by the name of goodnes s
but m ust explore if it be goodness Nothing is at
l ast sacred b u t t h e integrity of our o w n
m ind
Ab solve you to yourself and you shall have the
su ffrage of the w orld
' ir tues are in the popular estima te r a ther the
exception than the ru le T h e re is the man a n
d h is
virtues Men do w hat is called a good a ction as
some piece of courage or chari ty much as t h ey
w ould pay a fine in expiation ofdaily non appear
ance on p arade T h e irw o rk s are done as an apo logy
—
or extenuation of their living in the world as
invalids and the insane pay a high board Their
virtues are penances I do not w ish to expia te but
to live My life is not an apology but a life I t is
for it self and not for a spe ctacle I much prefer
that it should be of a lo w er strain so it be genuine
and equal than that it should be glittering and
I
ask primary evidence tha t you are a
un
ste ad
y
'
.
.
,
.
.
,
.
.
,
.
.
.
,
,
'
.
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
[ ]
3
.
gel/
«
“
n
Re
li a
ce
man and refus e this appeal fro m the man to his
actions I k no w that for m yselfit ma k e s no di ffer
ence w hether I do or forbear tho se a ctions w hich
are rec k oned excellent I cannot con sent to pay
for a privilege w here I have intrin sic right 'e w
and mean as m y gifts m ay be I a ctually am and
do n
assurance or the a ssur
o t need for my o w n
ance of m y fellows any secondary tes ti m ony
A fooli sh con sis tency is th e hobgoblin of little
d p h i l o so
m inds adored by l ittl e s tate smen a n
h
e rs and di v i n
e s W i t h consi stency a gre a t s oul
p
has si m ply nothing to do H e may as w ell concern
him self w ith his shado w on the w all
I suppo se no m an
can violate h is nature All
the sallie s of h is w ill are rou ded in by the law of
h i s b eing as th e inequal itie s ofAndes and H i m
m aleh are in significan t in the curve ofthe sphere
Nor do es it m a tter h o w yo u gauge and try h i m
A character is l i k e an acrostic or Al exandrian
—
s tan z a ' read it forward bac k w ard or acro ss it
s t il l sp ells the sa m e thin g We pa ss for w hat w e
are C harac ter teaches above our w ill s M en i m
agine that they co m m unicate their virtue or vice
,
.
.
.
.
,
,
.
,
.
.
.
n
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
.
.
[9]
n
R
Se f
‘
e
/i a
ce
J
o t se e tha t vir tue or
only by over t a c tions a nd do n
vice emi t a brea th every mom e n t
'ear never b u t you shall be consis te nt in what
ev e r vari e ty ofa ctions so th e y be each honest a nd
natural in their hour 'o r of one w ill th e a ctio n
s
w ill be har m onious h ow e ver unli k e th e y se e m
Th e se varieties are l os t sigh t of w hen seen at a
e
little dis tan ce at a l i ttl e heigh t of though t ' n
tend e ncy uni tes th e m all
There is a grea t responsible Thin k e r and A ctor
moving w herever moves a man 'very true man
is a cause a country and an age 'requires infini te
spaces and numbers and tim e fully to acco m plish
—
his thought ' and p osterity seem to fol l ow his
steps as a procession A m an
C a e sar is born and for
ages after w e have a R o m an 'm pire C hrist is
born and millions of minds so grow and cleave to
his genius th a t he is confounded w ith virtue and
the possible of man An institution is th e leng th
ened shadow of one man 'as the R eforma tion of
' u t her ' Q ua k eri sm of 'ox ' M ethodism of
Wesley 'Abolition of C lar k son Scipio Milton
”
“
call e d the heigh t of R ome ' and al l his tory
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
[
10
]
,
Self
n
R
e
/i a
ce
J
r e solves itself v ery ea sily into the biography of a
fe w stout and earnest persons
then k no w h i s wor th and k eep
' e t a m an
things under his feet ' e t h im not peep or steal or
s k ul k up and do w n with the air of a charity boy
a bastard or an interloper in the w orld w hich
'u t th e man in the s treet finding
e xists for h i m
no wort h for hi m self which corresponds to the
force which built a tower or sculptured a m arble
god feel s poor when he l o o k s on these To h im a
palace a statue or a costly boo k have an ali e n and
forbidding air much li k e a gay equipage a nd
”
“
seem to say li k e that Who are you sir ' Y e t they
a ll are his suitors for his notice pe titioners to his
faculties that they w ill come o u t and ta k e posses
sion The pi cture w ai ts for my verdi ct: i t is not to
command m e b u t Iam to settle its clai m s to praise
Tha t popular fable of th e sot w h o was pic k ed
up dead drun k in the stree t carried to the d u k e s
house w a shed and dres sed and laid in the du k e s
b e d and on his w a k ing treated w ith al l o b se
u i o u s ceremony lik e th e du k e and assu red that
q
—
h e h a d be en in sa ne
o w e s i ts popul ari ty to th e
.
,
,
.
'
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
’
,
’
,
,
,
,
,
,
[
II
]
n
R
Sal/
(
e
li a
ce
fa ct tha t i t symb ol i z es so w e l l th e s t ate of m a n
who is in the world a sor t of so t b u t now and then
wa k e s up ex e rcises his r e ason and finds himself
a true princ e
' very man discerns b e tw een t h e vol un tary
a cts ofhis mind and his involuntary percep tions
And t o his invol un t a ry percep tion s h e k no w s a
perfect respect is due H e m ay err in th e expres
sion of them b u t he k nows that thes e things are
o t to be di spu te d All my
so li k e day and nigh t n
w ilful actions and acquisitions are b u t roving '
th e mos t trivial reverie the faintes t nativ e e m o
t ion are domes ti c a nd divine
Though tl e ss p e opl e c o n
tradiét as readily the
s ta tem e n t of percep tions as of opinion s or r a th e r
o t dis tinguish
much mor e re a dily ' for th e y do n
be tween percep tion and no tion They fancy tha t
I c hoose to see this or tha t thing 'u t p e rcep tion
It is as much a faét as
is n
o t whimsi c a l b u t fatal
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
th e su
n
.
,
.
Whenev e r a mind is simpl e and r e c e iv e s a
divin e wisdom th en old t hings pass a w ay
means te a ch e rs te x ts temples fall 'i t lives now
,
,
,
,
,
,
[
1 2
]
Se lf
n
Re
lz a
'
‘
ce
and absorb s pa st and future into the present hour
All thing s are m ade sacred by relation to i t one
thing as m uch as another All things are dissolved
to their c e ntre by their cau se and in the universal
m iracle petty and particular m iracles di sappear
The centuries are conspirators against the san
ity and m aje sty ofthe soul Time and space are but
phy siological color s w hich the eye ma k eth but
th e soul is light 'w here it is i s day 'w here it was
is night 'and history is an i m pertinence and an
injury if it b e anything m ore than a cheerful
apologue or parable of m y being and beco m ing
Man is ti m id and apologetic H e is no longer
” “
”
“
upright He dares not say I thin k
but
I am
quote s so m e saint or sage He is a sha m ed before
the blade of gra ss or the blo w ing ro se These roses
under m y w indo w ma k e no reference to for m e r
rose s or to bette r one s'they are fo r w hat they are '
they exist w ith ' o d today There is no ti m e to
the m There i s si m ply th e rose 'it i s perfe ct in
—
m
m
i
'
every o ent of ts existence efore a leaf bud
—
has bur st its w hole l ife a cts' in the full blown
flo w er there is no m ore 'in the lea fless root there
.
'
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
.
.
.
.
,
,
,
[
13
]
Se lf
n
R
e
/i a
ce
is n
o less I ts na tur e is s a tisfied and i t satisfi e s na
t ure in all mom e nts ali k e Ther e is no time to it
'u t man pos tpones or r e m e m bers 'he does n
ot
live in th e present b u t with reverted e ye lam e nts
th e pas t or heedl e ss of th e riches tha t surro u nd
him s tand s on tiptoe to for e se e th e future H e c a n
n
o t be happy and strong un til he too lives wi th
natur e in th e pres e n t above tim e
' e t a stoic arise who shall reveal the resourc es
o t l eanin g wil
of m anan d t e l l m en th e y ar e n
lows but can and m ust detach themselves ' that
e w po w ers shall
w ith the exercis e of self trus t n
app e ar : tha t a man is the w ord mad e flesh born to
sh e d h e al in g to th e n ations t hat h e shoul d b e
asha m ed of our compassion and that th e mo m e nt
he a cts from himself tossing th e law s the boo k s
—
idolatries a nd cus toms out of the windo w w e
pity him no more b u t than k and r e vere h i m
and th a t tea c her shall restore the l ife of m an
to
spl e ndor and ma k e his n a me dear to all Hi story
—
I t is easy to see that a greater self r e liance a
—
mu st w or k
n
e w resp e c t for th e divinity in man
a revolution in all th e o ffi ces a nd rela tions of men '
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
'
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
'
,
,
[
I4
]
in their religion 'in their education 'in their pur
suit s' their m odes o f living ' their a ssociation ' in
their property 'in their speculative vie w s
'rayer is the conte m plation of the fa éts of life
fro m the highe st point ofview I t is the sol il o quy
of a beholding and jubilant soul I t is the spirit of
' o d pronouncing h is wor k s good
'u t prayer as a m eans to e ffect a private end i s
theft and m eannes s I t suppose s dualism and not
unity in nature and con sciou sness As soon as the
man is at one w ith ' o d he w ill not beg H e w ill
then se e prayer in all aét i o nThe prayer of the
far m er k neeling in his field to w eed it the prayer
of the ro w er k neeling w ith the stro k e o f h is oar
are true p rayers heard throughout nature though
for cheap ends
Another sort of fal se prayers are our regrets
D iscontentment is the w ant of self reliance : it is
infir m ity of w ill R egre t cala m iti es if you can
thereby help the su fferer 'if not attend your o w n
wor k and already the evil begin s to be repa ired
Welco m e ever m ore to gods and m e n
is the
s el f h e lping man ' o r h i m all do ors are flung
.
.
.
.
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
'
.
,
,
.
,
'
.
[
I
5
]
wide Him all tongues greet all honors crown
all eyes follo w w ith desire ' u r love goes o u t to
h im and embraces h i m b e cause h e did n
o t need
it We solicitously and apologetically caress and
c e l e bra te him because he h e ld on his w ay and
scorned our disapprobation The gods love him
“
b ecause men ha t ed h i m To th e p ers e vering
”
“
m o rtal said ' oroaster
the bl e sse d I m mortals
”
are swift
I nsist on yourself' never imi tate Y our o w n
gift you c a n presen t every momen t with th e cu
m u lativ e forc e ofa whole life s cultivation 'b u t of
the adopted talent of another you have only an
ex te m poran e ou s half pos se ssion That which
each can do be st none but his Ma k er can teach
him ' 0 man ye t k no w s w hat i t is nor can till
tha t person has exhibit e d it
It is only as a man puts o ff fro m him se lf all ex
ternal suppor t and stand s alone that I see h im to
be strong and to prevail H e w h o k no w s that
po w er is in the soul tha t he is w ea k only becau se
he h a s loo k ed for good out of h im and el sewhere
and so perceiving thro w s hi m self u nh e sita tingly
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
.
.
’
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
I ]
I6
Sal/
(
n
Re
li a
ce
on his thought instantly rights hi m self stands in
the erect position co m m ands h i s li m bs w or k s
m iracl es 'just as a m an
w h o stands on his feet is
strong e r than a m an
w h o stands on his head
So use all that i s called 'ortune Most men
ga m ble w ith her and gain all and lose all as her
w heel roll s 'u t do thou leave as unla w ful the se
w inning s and deal w ith C au se and ' ffe ct the
C hancellor s of ' o d In th e W il l w o rk and acquire
and thou h as chained the w heel of C han ce and
shalt al w ays drag her after thee
A political victory a ri se of ren ts the recovery
of your sic k or the return of your absent friend
or so m e other quite external event raises your
spirits and you thin k good days are preparing for
you D o not believe it I t can never be so Nothing
can bring you peace but yourself Nothing can
bring you peace but the triu m ph o f principle s
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
.
.
n n
d fifly p i of h i h l h k
C
n
n
d
C
R
i
hy
f
p
n
i in
i
m
i
R n
ld '
'
'
d
69 ' d
g g
y
D mh
in
9
Th ree h u dr e d
w er e
Th e
r
te
o a
a
or
s
ress
co
H' R ''S
’
ece
t
es
o a sr r
er , 1
e
22.
oo
' ' ' 'DS
'
v ert s
tt e
s
c
,
te