Emersons Self Reliance vs. Douglass Narrative of the Life

After reading both â€Å"Self Reliance,† by Ralph Waldo Emerson and â€Å"The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,† by Frederick Douglass, one might notice a trend in what both writers regard as the key to happiness or self-fulfillment. Emerson and Douglass both imply that acquiring knowledge is what people should strive for throughout their lives. However, their perceptions on the kind of knowledge should be attained is where their ideas diverge; Emerson is the one that encourages one to develop the soul whereas with Douglass, it is the mind. One of the primary issues that Emerson tried to convey was that one must follow what they believe is true for themselves and not listen to what other people think. He states,†¦show more content†¦This shows that being â€Å"true† to oneself was just as big an issue to Douglass as it was to Emerson. As imperative as individualism was to Emerson, developing one’s soul was even more s o. The process in developing one’s soul was just as important. He states, â€Å"But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future (Emerson 157).† The word â€Å"heedless† means â€Å"carelessly† and by using the word â€Å"riches† Emerson means nature. What he meant by using these words together was that men forget about the beauty in nature because we see it all too often to notice it. Men are too wrapped up in their lives and thinking about the future that they overlook the splendor that nature has to offer. He also states, â€Å"These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God today (Emerson 157).† With this, Emerson is trying to convey the fact that God is present in nature and all its beauty. Although Douglass’ de sire to develop the mind was strong, he didn’t always have it. It wasn’t until Mr. Auld had chastised Mrs. Auld for teaching him the alphabets that he really felt the aspiration to read. Douglass said, â€Å"That which to him was a great evil, to be carefullyShow MoreRelatedStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pages 607 EVOLUTION OF PRACTICES ................................... 608 SYSTEMS OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES .......................................... 609 INDIVIDUAL BEST PRACTICES VS. SYSTEMS OF PRACTICES ........................................................... 614 UNIVERSAL PRACTICES VS. CONTINGENCY PERSPECTIVES...................................................... 616 EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE: THE CASE FOR UNIVERSAL BEST PRACTICES................................................... 618