So, am I a transcendentalist? Well I agree with many things that the transcendentalist writers had promoted. I believe that God is in all of us because we were created in his image, and he is always with us. I believe that all people have good inside of them, just experiences and personal suffering causes man to turn to evil and sin. I also believe that one must find happiness within himself or herself to truly be content with life. A passage in Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self Reliance that stood out to me was, "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron sting. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you..." I really like that line because I believe that it is critical for people to have self-trust and self-confidence.
Another thing that may make me a transcendentalist is my love for nature. I really love doing anything outside, and in the dark, gloomy Wisconsin winters, all I crave is sun. Now, I could not live in the wilderness in a tent, but I do appreciate all that nature has to offer.
On aspect of transcendentalism that I do not agree with, or do not particularly follow, is the idea that conformity is bad. I understand that if everyone is sinful and succumbs to temptation, then hopping on the bandwagon is not the best idea, but if everyone learns to love each other and celebrate the good things in life, then conformity is not so terrible! There are different kinds of conformity, good and evil, and distinguishing between the two can sometimes be difficult.
I know I may sound naïve, but I feel that everyone has some good inside of them, and a truly peaceful world is possible. Transcendentalism, to me, represents optimism and happiness while anti-transcendentalism represents pessimism and doubt in humanity. I know the anti-transcendentalists are just trying to "keep it real" but I feel that that only seeing the bad in people is a very negative outlook on life, and who wants that? I'd much rather be happy!
So, am I a transcendentalist? To that question I answer, yes sir!
On aspect of transcendentalism that I do not agree with, or do not particularly follow, is the idea that conformity is bad. I understand that if everyone is sinful and succumbs to temptation, then hopping on the bandwagon is not the best idea, but if everyone learns to love each other and celebrate the good things in life, then conformity is not so terrible! There are different kinds of conformity, good and evil, and distinguishing between the two can sometimes be difficult.
I know I may sound naïve, but I feel that everyone has some good inside of them, and a truly peaceful world is possible. Transcendentalism, to me, represents optimism and happiness while anti-transcendentalism represents pessimism and doubt in humanity. I know the anti-transcendentalists are just trying to "keep it real" but I feel that that only seeing the bad in people is a very negative outlook on life, and who wants that? I'd much rather be happy!
So, am I a transcendentalist? To that question I answer, yes sir!
I like you paragraph where you talk about what you don't agree with transcendentalism. Unlike minister Mr. Hooper in the the Minister's Black Veil, who said, "This veil is a type and a symbol, and I am bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and before the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends. No mortal eye will see it withdrawn." I don't think the minister can see the good in everyone because otherwise he wouldn't have to wear that creepy veil.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm glad that you see that people are not eternally bad or have no good in them! I agree with you! :)
I really enjoyed reading your post, it was very interesting! I definitely agreed with you on most all of it. Like Emerson wrote in Self-Reliance, "Your conformity explains nothing. Act singly." Even though he sees otherwise, I agree with you about not all conformity being bad! But I can also understand where Emerson is coming from as well...
ReplyDeleteYour post got me thinking on an entirely different path. The quote you mention in the first paragrpah that goes, "Accept the place the divine providence has found for you..." is really cool. I found myself thinking about destiny and fate. I don't fully believe in either, but through hope I kind of trust in both. You brought out really good points about how evil and sin do not necessarily make people eternally bad, which I agree with!
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