26/03/2026
Good reads from The Atlantic. As always. Here with a very timely essay about the lessons we must learn from Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the greats of American Classical Liberalism (not to be confused with today's understanding in America of what is Liberalism, too much left-leaning beliefs, much different from European Classical Liberalism). Knowing how to be independent and cherish the beliefs of Emerson are very much pertinent to our days of potential mass manipulation and political control.....
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When Ralph Waldo Emerson published his essay “Self-Reliance” in 1841, he was criticized for writing a “strange medley of atheism and false independence.” But he also made a thrilling case for the rewards of independent thinking—advice that remains true today, Arthur C. Brooks wrote in 2024. https://theatln.tc/qFWcpJpl
“We are inundated with others’ opinions on all matters,” Brooks writes. “Politicians, corporations, media figures, strangers, and friends tell us what to do and think.” But evidence shows that a lack of self-sufficiency is bad for people—scholars have found that young adults most prone to depression and substance use are the least self-sufficient. It “stands to reason that most of us could benefit from more independence,” Brooks continues.
Achieving self-sufficiency can be a challenge. Luckily, Emerson offers us helpful principles to monitor our independence. To start, be a private person and don’t share the details of your life with strangers. “If Emerson believed this in the 1840s, imagine what he would think today in an era of unrestrained sharing of one’s private life via social media,” Brooks writes. Researchers have found that oversharing online can become associated with anxiety, attention-seeking, and social-media addiction.
Emerson also “believed that even if you agree with the prevailing conventional wisdom, you must still exercise skepticism,” Brooks continues—which is why one of the philosopher’s most important principles is to resist conformity. “To embrace the wisdom of any party or clique is to don what amounts to a ‘prison-uniform.’” This, too, means that people should never apologize for changing their opinions. “Most people are loath to appear inconsistent,” Brooks writes. But even just saying “I changed my mind” can be beneficial, leading to less anxiety and thus increased happiness.
Living by Emerson’s code “is not an easy path, which is why few people really follow it,” Brooks writes. “But in a messy world where the majority of people are just going along and getting along, you will find it well worth trying to do so.”
Read more about the eight Emersonian principles to achieving self-reliance at the link.
🎨: Jan Buchczik
