Analysis of Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Essay Example

Have you ever wanted to be just like someone and have what they have? According to Self Reliance written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide; and he needs to take himself for better.” (369) Ralph is saying that we all need to be our own self and be different, instead of all being the same. I have experienced this issue many times when it comes to friends and wanting to be just like them. Many people, including myself, face this struggle and we need to change this way of thinking. We all need to be our own individual selves.

Initially, Waldo talks about how envy is ignorance. This part of the quote is saying that when we wish that we have what other people have, we are being ignorant of the things we already own. I have dealt with this issue on multiple occasions. An example of this would be when I was really jealous of my friend's house and all of the new stuff he was getting. When I was focusing on all of the new things he was getting, I was ignoring everything that I had and devalued it. By doing this, I was losing sight of what really mattered in life. 

Additionally, Emerson states “imitation is suicide”. As I was going throughout middle school, I saw all the popular kids and wanted to be just like them. I started to copy how they talked, how they acted, and how they would dress. I also stopped doing things that they saw as uncool. As I was doing this, I didn’t realize what I was doing to myself and the other people around me. I started to be rude to people that weren’t seen as cool, I was disrespectful to teachers for no reason, and I was fitting into the crowd instead of being myself.  I finally realized that it was better to be myself, rather than be just like everyone else. Everyone is unique and we need to keep it that way.

Moreover, the author talks about how we need to take ourselves for better. He is telling us that it is better to be ourselves rather than all be the same.  Everybody nowadays is always trying to fit in rather than stand out, especially in high school. By doing this, we are getting rid of what makes us unique and special. I have grown a lot personally after getting rid of the mindset that I need to be the most popular and cool person in the world. I have learned how to accept myself for who I am, and all the things that make me different from anyone else. I am now able to focus on things that are way more important such as schools, sports, and my family. If I had not done this sooner, I have no idea where I would be with my life at this point.

In conclusion, Ralph Waldo Emerson is telling us that we all need to be ourselves instead of all being the same. By doing this we are making life more exciting and enjoyable for everyone. I feel that this quote relates to me very well because these are problems that I have struggled with, but have learned to change this way of thinking. As a high school student these are issues that I face everyday and have to struggle with and it makes life hard sometimes. Despite this dilemma, we all need to be different from each other.