n.
Reliance on one's own capabilities, judgment, or resources; independence.
self-reliant self'-re·li'ant adj.
self-reliantly self'-re·li'ant·ly adv.
self-reliance
|
Dictionary:
self-re·li·ance (sĕlf'rĭ-lī'əns) |
| Thesaurus: self-reliance |
noun
- The capacity to manage one's own affairs, make one's own judgments, and provide for oneself: independence, self-determination, self-sufficiency. See dependence/independence.
| Quotes About: Self-reliance |
Quotes:
"God loves to help him who strives to help himself."
- Aeschylus
"The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing."
- St. Thomas Aquinas
"No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods."
- Demosthenes
"This gives force to the strong -- that the multitude have no habit of self-reliance or original action."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
See more famous quotes about Self-reliance
| Wikipedia: Self-Reliance |
This article is about the essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson. For the related concept of economic self-reliance, see Self-sufficiency.
Self-Reliance is an essay written by American Transcendentalist philosopher and essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most solid statement of one of Emerson's repeating themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts and ideas. Emerson's ideas are considered a reaction to a commercial identity; he calls for a return to individual identity.
Contents |
History
The first hint of the philosophy that would become Self-Reliance was presented by Emerson as part of a sermon in September 1830 a month after his first marriage.[1] His wife was sick with tuberculosis[2] and, as Emerson's biographer Robert D. Richardson wrote, "Emerson's belief in immortality had never been stronger or more desperately needed."[1]
From 1836 into 1837, Emerson presented a series of lectures on the philosophy of history at Boston's Masonic Temple. These lectures were never published separately but many of his thoughts in these lectures were later used in "Self-Reliance" and several other essays.[3] Later lectures by Emerson, especially the "Divinity School Address", led to public censure for Emerson's radical views; the staunch defense of individualism in "Self-Reliance" may be a reaction to that censure.[4]
Self-Reliance was first published in his 1841 collection, Essays: First Series.
Analysis
Emerson presupposes that the mind is initially subject to an unhappy nonconformism.[5] However, "Self-Reliance" is not anti-society or anti-community. Instead, Emerson advocates self-reliance as a starting point, not as a goal.[6]
References
- ^ a b Richardson, Robert D. Jr. Emerson: The Mind on Fire. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1995: 99. ISBN 0-520-08808-5.
- ^ McAleer, John. Ralph Waldo Emerson: Days of Encounter. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1984: 105. ISBN 0316553417.
- ^ Richardson, Robert D. Jr. Emerson: The Mind on Fire. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1995: 257. ISBN 0-520-08808-5
- ^ Richardson, Robert D. Jr. Emerson: The Mind on Fire. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1995: 300. ISBN 0-520-08808-5.
- ^ Buell, Lawrence. Emerson. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2003: 64. ISBN 0-674-01139-2.
- ^ Richardson, Robert D. Jr. Emerson: The Mind on Fire. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1995: 322. ISBN 0-520-08808-5.
External links
 |
Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- Text of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay, Self-Reliance
- "Out of Panic, Self-Reliance" by Harold Bloom, New York Times, October 12, 2008
 |
This article about an essay or essay collection is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Translations: Self-reliance |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - selvtillid
Nederlands (Dutch)
onafhankelijkheid, op zichzelf bouwen
Français (French)
n. - autosuffisance
Deutsch (German)
n. - Selbstvertrauen
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αυτάρκεια
Italiano (Italian)
fiducia in se stesso
Português (Portuguese)
n. - autoconfiança (f)
Русский (Russian)
уверенность в себе
Español (Spanish)
n. - independencia, confianza o seguridad en sí mismo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - självförtroende, självtillit, självständighet
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
自恃, 倚靠自己
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 自恃, 倚靠自己
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 자기 신뢰, 독립 독행, 자립
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) ألاعتماد على ألنفس
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הסתמכות עצמית, ביטחון עצמי, אי-תלות בזולת
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
To select your translation preferences click here.
Learn More
 | Neil, John (Quotes By) |
| The Laws of Manu (Quotes By) |
| self-trust |
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Quotes About. Copyright © 2005 QuotationsBook.com. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Self-Reliance". Read more |
 |
| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
ADVERTISEMENT
Mentioned in
- Neil, John (Quotes By)
- The Laws of Manu (Quotes By)
- self-trust
- Sampson, Patricia (Quotes By)
- self-confidence
- A Dove (1992 Album by The Roches)
- individualism
- Off the Map (Sources) (play)
- Meister Oelze (work)
- Élie Stephenson
- New England transcendentalism (philosophy)
- Arusha (city, Tanzania)
- Camp Fire Boys and Girls (organization, United States – in sociology)
- diffidence
