Listen to my podcast episode on this essay here!
Title Self-Reliance
Author Ralf Waldo Emerson
Kind of Book Essay
How strongly I recommend it 9/10
My Impressions It was not at all what I thought it was going to be about, but excellent none the less. Emerson writes brilliantly about the courage it takes to trust yourself and follow you intuition
Practical Takeaways
Trust thyself
Learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across your mind from within
Don't worry about contradicting yourself (or saying something different than what you said yesterday)
Live in the present
Don't listen to anyone who says he knows God unless he Experiences God directly
Experience God directly
Speak your truth
Live your truth even if it causes others pain A: it is better to cause others pain than to live without liberty and power
Insist on yourself
Never imitate
Obey thy heart
Big Ideas