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Question: Can someone help me answer this historic Quote!?
" To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men--genius"(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
ok I already figured this quote out it basically means that waldo believed that man should believe in something himself and believe that everyone thinks the same way as he does, and that he is genius!. It also means what you believe in your heart is true for everbody that shows the highest level of genius!. This quote basically takes away the idea of individuality!.


Im going to do an essay on this quote and any info would help me out thanks!

What do you think the quote means!?
Do you agree(defend) or disagree(challenge) or agree/disagree(qualify) with it and why!?
please state three reasons for each and explain your reasoning!.
thank youWww@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
To me the answer of what Emerson meant is found in the first line that the quote you used is from!.!.!."Ne te quaesiveris extra!." Your quote is from Emerson's 1841 Self Reliance!. The title should be a clue!. The first line means in latin to look within one's self!.

Emerson's quote you used was taken out of a paragraph which reads: "I read the other day some verses written by an eminent painter which were original and not conventional!. The soul always hears an admonition in such lines, let the subject be what it may!. The sentiment they instil is of more value than any thought they may contain!. To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius!. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost,—— and our first thought is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the Last Judgment!. Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what they thought!. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages!. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his!. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty!. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this!. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side!. Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another!."

When you read the entire body, which goes on for paragraphs you realize Emergson was referring to having conviction in one's own's beliefs!. That each person should look within for their beliefs, not to copy others!. Using modern thinking, picture youself in a classroom and your teacher tells the class something and everyone simply goes to yahoo answers and copies what is written!. But one student comes up with not only an original thought, but communicates the thought!. According to Emerson greatness is to not only come up with your own thought but to realize that by speaking and sharing your thoughts you are being a genius!. What I mean is that what makes a person a genius is to tell others what you think and to do so in a sincere way as if everyone else should listen to you!. It's not that genius' are smater but that genius make decisions inside themselves as to what is best!.

Martha Stewart a modern billionaire said that she doesn't ask customers what they think she should make because she tells customers what they will buy!. This is what makes Stewart a genius in Emerson's book!.

I don't agree with Emerson because I belive that we must consider our environment, society, or our customer!. Such as a tailor relies not only on his own internal skill, but also the needs and measurments of a customer!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

its like the" the secret"

anyways when you say it takes away individuality it could also be used to support individuality!.

Dont read to deeply into his words but get what he feels, and just try to understand his reasoning for saying it!.

You must be Emerson, be him!


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