“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Self-Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay In the essay entitled â€Å"Self-Reliance† written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a clear and detailed account of how the author sees and defines self-reliance is presented in a classical manner of writing. The author has argued, through the different ideas he presented in his essay that non-conformity is important nowadays and the development of independent beliefs should be given attention by people. Likewise, the author has presented a view of how society is today using his own lenses, which means it came from his perspective. In defining what a genius is, Emerson mentioned that â€Å"to believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men† are characteristics that make a person a genius (p. 17). He has so much emphasis on the ability of men to create ideas of their own and reinforce this by believing in it is a source of one’s ingenuity. Related to this is the idea of self-reliance where one person maintains a persona perspective and abides by it. Where this warrants non-conformity, the author argues that it is permissible and is likewise considered as the most acceptable behavior to achieve self-reliance. Whatever the response of men may be towards a diversion away from the norm, then it is to be treated without malice or second thought for a person should believe more on himself/herself. This also directs the person away from relying on the thoughts of others. In addition to this, the author mentioned that great philosophers and influential people from the past has earned their positions in the society because they have expressed their ideas, believed in it, and reinforced it through their arguments. From the author’s point of view, the society of today has lost the ability to make use of knowledge and gain it through definite means. From his words, The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of muscle. He has a fine Geneva watch, but he fails of the skill to tell the hour by the sun. (Emerson 29). In this sense, the men of today has been given the right tools for their needs but has lost the traditional means of acquiring knowledge. More so, information for them has been based so much on what they have built for themselves and less on relying on their own abilities to answer and solve daily problems. Apparently today, the availability of automatic technologies has paved the way for the society’s failure in developing people to rely on their own faculties and knowledge to respond to situations. From a personal point of view, the definition of self-reliance should take on the present circumstances which the societies are made to face. Today, people could be self-reliant through developing their own faculties and progressing through their careers using their own abilities and their own efforts. The hard-work of the people is an important aspect of self-reliance in today’s world because of the competition from each and every individual for the scarcity of resources and opportunities. Reliance on one’s own self in achieving heights would have to be developed through education, which has within its purpose the honing of faculties throughout the lifetime of individuals. Nonetheless, education would also have to be based on the own efforts of the individual as he/she climbs through the educational ladder. As one progresses and educates the self, one has to take into consideration the need to generate ideas and be critical of the facts presented. The academe actually serves as the training ground where the student hones the skills required in order to present self-generated ideas and facts and stand by these. More so, people should become self-reliant in terms of their relationship with other people. While it is good to listen to criticisms and ideas of other people, one should dare to stand up for their own opinion whether this may be in opposition to what the status quo wants. It could be remembered that change is among the constant things in this world and as people dare to make a change, they also wanted to stand up and be different from what the majority wants. Definitely, there are criticisms that are to be met and arguments from different groups and individuals. This is inevitable for they have their own judgment and perception of the world as they see it that leads to a clash of ideas. Moreover, there are social controls in the society that sometimes inhibit people from becoming self-reliant. These social controls tend to keep people in groups and rely on one another and when one wishes to be self-reliant, an individual should be prepared for the consequences attached to these social controls. Thus, people are able to become self-reliant because of the belief they have in the things they could do and in the knowledge they have. From experience, there is no harm in trying the beliefs enclosed in becoming self-reliant because of the experience it brings and the possible outcome of the action. It will further nourish the character of the person and encourages the people to make their own personal contributions from their own faculties. Thus, in becoming self-reliant, people have to be able to generate ideas of their own through education, stand by these and make good use, and be able to accept the consequences for their actions. Being self-reliant would make an individual capable of living in today’s society with the several challenges posed on being individualistic and relying on one’s own self. Work Cited Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Essays: First and Second Series. Stilwell, KS: Digireads. com Publishing, 2007.

Causes of World War 1 :: essays research papers

Causes of World War 1 The Causes of World War I The murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on the 28th of June caused the lead up to World War I. The Archduke heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated in his car during a drive in Sarajevo. The assassination was the work of a terrorist group known as the Black Hand. This caused Austria-Hungary to call on Germany as an ally and discuss how far Germany would support them. The result of this meeting was the `Blank Cheque' which gave Austria Germany's full support. Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia asking for `complete surrender' on 23rd July and Serbia agreed 99%. Austria declared war on Serbia on the 28th of July, which created a war that would split Europe in two. War plans and war strategies a crucial to win a war so they must be planned to perfection with no flaws. In World War I Germany believed they had a perfect war plan were as if Russia mobilizes then Germany would have forty days to destroy and invade France (Russia's Ally) this flawless plan was known as the Schlieffen. The Schlieffen plan was created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen and was created to protect Germany from fighting a war on two fronts. After Schlieffen died his successor was a man named Helmuth von Moltke and he modified the plan slightly by not invading so much neutral territory. During the war the plan was an absolute failure and Germany had to fight a war on two fronts and lost. The plan was a failure because it had to many flaws e.g. Britain was not brought into the equation, France was stronger than expected. In this war plan trains with strict timetables were used to create an army of 4,000,000 to march into Paris. Once Germany mobilizes the trains would not stop or change route for anybody. When the Kaiser asked Moltke to stop the trains going to France, Moltke's reply was: "That we can't do! The whole army would be thrown into confusion. We would lose any chance of victory." Moltke This proves that the Kaiser was not in control after mobilization has started. It also proves that the trains could not be stopped by anyone after they have started without complete chaos occurring and defeat enviable. The alliances in Europe created a tension, which would snap, and a major war would occur that would split Europe in two.

Culture and cultural differences Essay

â€Å"Motivation is an incentive, inducement, or motive, especially for an act† (Morris 1970) There are many ways which influence the motivation levels of an adult person to do a particular task. One of the most important factors is Culture, which is an intrinsic part of a human being. The term culture is best understood when cross-cultural people join to due to some reason, to form a group. While interacting with such a group for motivation, the main idea is to create a sense of belonging. People, who find their niche place in a group, are much more eager to perform tasks to the best of their abilities. The second most important idea for motivation is to create an environment to do work. The reasons for working vary for people from country to country – In China the work motivation is moral obligation, while in Japan it is trust and in Western societies it is incentives. All these factors should be taken care while motivating a cross-cultural group for working. One should always remember that, in the end all these people are doing the same for albeit for different reasons. What do you believe should be your primary concern when trying to motivate across cultural boundaries? Remember to justify your response. People from various cultures take incentives in a different way. People belonging to Asian countries like Japan, lay more stress on the acknowledgement of the work done, than on any material perks they might be able to earn. In contrast, people from many of the service based western countries like US think of incentives, as something which is to be won. And finally there are some people who might be from poor countries like Vietnam, where the perks mean additional money, the more they work the more they earn. Making all these people motivated with an inspirational talk, no matter how good the perks might be, is the most important factor of all. This is because, dissatisfied people might easily think on the lines of regional bias and try to de-motivate other people. A balanced talk which is aimed to effectively motivate the set of people, by seemingly addressing to the individual cultural sects of the group, hence requires the maximum talent and guile on the part of the motivating person. References LaMonica L, â€Å"The Relationship Between Culture and Learner Motivation and Implications for Trainingâ€Å", 17th July 2001, http://www. geocities. com/llamonica/culture. html

Motives of Exploration of the New World Essay - 823 Words

Until the late 1400s, Europeans did not know the existence of the two American continents ( North and South America ). To the European explorers, exploring the other side of the Atlantic was like exploring an entire different world, hence the name- the New World. In 1492, Christopher Columbus unknowingly discovered the new continent. His original motives for exploring was to find an easier route to Asia but instead, he discovered the New World. Thus; Spain, France and England began sending out conquistadors and explorers to the uncharted terrains of the new continent. Motives for the Spanish, French, and English explorers varied greatly, however, they were similar in some ways. The motives of the Spanish explorers were acquisition of†¦show more content†¦The New World offered ownership of land and thrill of adventure. During the 16th century, a great deal of exploring was spent on searching for the fabled ‘El Dorado, which is defined as a place of vast riches or abunda nce. Like the Spanish power, France was impelled by a desire to spread Christianity, to find wealth, and to counter the efforts of other nations. France also hoped to find a new water route to the East through the North American Continent. French explorers sailed down the St. Lawrence, across the waterways of Canada, through the Great Lakes, and finally to the Mississippi River and its vast drainage system. They did not find the Northwestern Passageway but found endless forests filled with fur-bearing animals and Indians eager to trade instead. Using the animals as a resource, the French became prominent in the New World mainly with fur trade. Unlike explorers such as Soto and colonizers at Roanoke, the traders realized the importance of dealing with the Indians and was consequently more successful. And from the fur trade, trading posts were established. The friars brought Christianity to the Indians. The French missionaries had a less lasting influence on the native population than the Spanish. They did not find any major missions but instead had many temporary mission stations, where priests read masses and performed sacraments. Motives forShow MoreRelatedCauses Of The Age Of Exploration1112 Words   |  5 Pages The geographical exploration was a period of time when European states began exploring the world. The European exploration known as the Age of Discovery, or the Age of Exploration began in the early fifteenth century and extended throughout the late sixteenth century. During this time, European nations discovered new routes. This led to the discovering of trade from different places outside of Europe. Europe exploration expanded to places such as the Americas, Africa, and much of the Far East. 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