Self-Reliance and Other Essays

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Categories: Literature & Fiction, Politics & Social Sciences

Ralph Waldo Emerson's title essay, first published in 1841 in Essays: First Series, urges readers to trust their own thinking rather than follow custom or the opinions of society. "Trust thyself," he writes, and he warns that conformity costs people their individuality. Emerson argues that each person should act on personal conviction even at the risk of being misunderstood, calling a foolish consistency "the hobgoblin of little minds." It is collected here with other Emerson essays.

Recommended by 3 people

• Patrick Bet-David: “Timeless book to read. Highly recommend it.”
• Seth Godin: “Here are more than twenty books you might want to read at work today... On Self Reliance”
• Barack Obama