DallasGreen123 well THAT is a wonderful thought!! I always feel mad about not remembering everything I read as if it was somehow wasted. But this metaphor makes so much sense. And when I read back some books that “made” me, it’s as if they were always there in me subconsciously guiding my actions and thoughts.
"In the work of a writer of genius, we discover our own neglected thoughts." .... Emerson's ability to express simple insights profoundly was some of the purest enlightenment in the history of language.
More people should read Emerson, one of the greatest without a doubt, not just as a writer, but a thinker. His words are always with me, a great teacher of life. I'd love to see a video on Carl Jung, please!
Self reliance literally changed my life from being a late 20’s living at my moms to having my own home couple years later an that was peak of the recession. It helped me alot since my parents divorced when i was 9 yrs old so it kind of guided me like my dad should’ve if he was present
As I was watching this video about Waldo Emerson I remembered and reread an essay written by my grandmother who has a phD in literature. The subject of her writing is the famous swedish author Fredrika Bremer who among other things fought for womens rights in the 1800s. She met Waldo Emerson while she was travelling between 1849 and 1851. She had read his writings and was so fascinated with them and the idea of the male voice behind them that she decided to meet him. They discussed religion, politics and other topics and she wrote in her book consisting of letters from her travels "Hemmen i den nya verlden" or "Homes in the New World" that Emerson had left a longlasting mark on her soul. She also included some translations of his works, which were the first swedish translations of Emerson ever, in her book. She described his writing as "athletic" and wrote about taking pleasure in watching his face, as if the two, from her point of view atleast, had some sort of romantic connection, although the line between friendship and romance was not as sharp in their times. She visited him on a few occasions while she was in America but they never sent eachother any letters after she went home to Sweden. For Emerson the relationship was likely just a footnote in his life but Fredrika Bremer said she would remember his noble personality that left a lasting mark on her soul and it might have been her friendship with Emerson that gave her the courage to publish her novel Hertha, considered to be the first swedish feminist novel.
One of my favourite Emerson quotations: "Nature still solicits me. Overhead the sanctities of the stars shine forevermore, and to me also, pouring satire on the pompous business of the day which they close, and making the generations of men show slight and evanescent. A man is but a bug, the earth but a boat, a cockle, drifting under their old light."
Emerson's writings resonated with me so much when I was a teenager and I was feeling angsty and rebellious. I first read his one of his essays in school, and though I can't remember the title, it was something about society and how we conform to it. This brought everything back to me. Great feature. Now I gotta read more of this guy's work.
Sometimes I think about the quotes that are wrongly contributed to him and their impact on myself, which I later found out to be written by someone else. What is the value you place on their prose?
Thank you for this refreshing look at Emerson. Emerson almost said, "Love is a pleasure that remains a wish. As the longing for love is satisfied, the wish for love increases." This basic sentiment is from the opening of one of his essays, but I find his poems to be much more full of life.
I love what the Irish say: " The thing about the past is it's not the past". It is great to be always aware of the value of " here and now", but if you claim to have " no past in your back" you may be very mistaken. It is wonderful that looking at the cayman Emerson felt the animal "in himself"... But looking back at the history he could have felt the same way about the caveman too. I think we should just watch the wonderful lesson " What is history for" by this channel again. That approach to history seems much wiser to me. On that lesson we have learnt to see the history NOT as an " impertinence and injury" but as a source of "solutions and consolations". Don't get me wrong, I love Emerson. But " trusting nothing but our intuition" is a bit tricky too. I once read an article on a German psychology magazine about a surf photographer. It is a quite dangerous profession. He said he has to trust his intuition a lot: when a wave is coming, he has to "feel" whether he can take a picture upon that one or whether it is too risky. But he also says that his "intuition" in this case, isn't something mystical. It is the result of "experiencing" thousands of waves...That's why now, just when the wave is about to be born, he senses what kind of wave it will be and he can position himself accordingly, without risking his life. My point is that if "intuition" grows in us after a pile of " experiences" , then it is a good idea to be as "aware" as possible of those incidents, which would also include using our "rationality" as best as we can. I know, this doesn't sound very romantic. But it's a good thing. What I loved from this lesson is "the emphasis on the value of the ordinary". In his wonderful speech " Art as Therapy" Alain also talks about " the glamour of our fragile existence"... What a beautiful expression. Emerson says: "I am thankful for small mercies. I compared notes with one of my friends who expects everything of the universe and is disappointed when anything is less than the best, and I found that I begin at the other extreme, expecting nothing, and am always full of thanks for moderate goods." By the way congratulations on your one million students! This channel is really the most exciting and hopeful place I know on earth. Thank you so much once again.
great video overall.... key fact missing was about the origins of his pantheistic way of life that he got from vedic traditions... Emerson own word- "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us."
+Yash Gupta Emerson didn't begin to read Eastern thought until after 1840, by which time most of his idea were in place. He certainly found there a way to further understand what he had already discovered.
I've always believed that Emerson is one of the most underrated philosophers and essayists. His writing is profoundly eloquent and moving. A must-read for everyone.
Excellent video- one the best, yet! Thank you. It should be noted that long before the Hippy Revolution, Emerson and Thoreau were reading Eastern philosophy, (especially the Bhagavad Gita), which must have certainly informed their pantheistic beliefs.
To me, Emerson is regarded as one of the greatest due to his inspiration of many; like Thoreau and Whitman, but he also penned Self Reliance and pioneered American transcendentalism.
his philosophy reminded me of a poster i made back in high school. we were supposed to make a poster in psychology class depicting who we think we are. loads of ppl cut out their favorite things and just randomly stuck them on a poster. i divided my poster into 4 and had a silhouette in the middle with a white question mark where the head is. the 4 sections depicted the 4 seasons and each season represented a different side of my personality - the spring is sweet; the summer is happy and generous; the autumn cool and intelligent; and the winter cold and distant. the question mark in the middle showed that i wasn't sure who i was without the current society i lived in, but i knew that i could return to nature to be myself, and adapt to whatever environment i was in like the ever changing seasons. i didn't know that was somewhat in line with emerson's philosophy until i saw this video! im glad to know he had similar thoughts b/c i truly admired him.
I love the symbolism. Literally, when he left the land of christianity and priesthood on Christmas Day it's like he left the lies in search of a more pagan route. Like back in kindergarten schools and adults forcibly teach you about christianity and that kinda like represents what he did when he successfully changed the way america saw its cultural and artistic possibilities. Cutting ties with what was originally accepted and used to. And yet after a great heartbreak and emptiness he ventured to a place he originally wanted to separate from or prove wrong, had like an epiphany that most spiritual people or practitioners get when they meditate. He also has that buddhist wisdom thing going on or any kind of wisdom really you get from studying all religions, cultures and traditions. He got in touch with nature. It's like he went back home. This lightens me up a bit. :)
How have I not heard about him until I read about him in my AP English class? Watching this, seeing the simple yet profound insights he had, listening to the originality of his words and how it still liberates writers today- Emerson is so important to American Literature. His ideas are simple yet still incredibly relevant to today. He's amazing.
To you who produced this and all the other videos: thank you. Thank you for expressing Emerson's central messages. In these ten minutes you managed to sum up the last session on Emerson at university and it was even very entertaining. Keep up the work!
It brings a tear to my eye to listen to Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy. He's incredibly Buddhist in thought, whether he realized it or not. We are all profound, we are all infinite, we are so much more than one may initially assume. I will definitely have to read more Emerson in the near future! Thank you, School of Life!
A true revelation of art, that nuances have the loudest utterances. It is a humbling journey to try to master that idea- to write as honest and raw as the writers of that time did. I think we, still today, are just dancing around that idea; we have added our own flavor; however modern poetic writing is its best when it makes the ordinary bloom into the extraordinary.
finally I found my philosopher and congratulations to the school of life we reached over million subscribers our community is growing let's keep at it!
I first read Emerson during my American literature course at the University of Leiden. We read self-reliance, and one particular quote always stuck with me: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
Emerson was one of the first great mystics as well as writers to come out of America. Reading his works was a philosophical revelation as much as a literary one.
I love your guys' literature videos. These and your philosophy videos are always the best. You should really consider doing Hermann Hesse, Miguel de Cervantes, Thomas Mann, or Flannery O'Connor.
If I had to pick one writer who shaped my thinking more than any other it would be Emerson, along with his compadres, Whitman and Thoreau. He’s so eminently quotable and here are my Top 10 favourites of his: 1. *Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.* 2. *Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.* 3. *It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.* 4. *Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen* 5. *Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.* 6. *A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.* 7. *You become what you think about all day long.* 8. *The good news is that the moment you decide that what you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe, you will have shifted gears in your quest for abundance. Success comes from within, not from without.* 9. *Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.* 10. *There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.* Like the stars ✨ in the firmament there are countless others, but perhaps I should end with this, thereby not taking Emerson’s advice: *I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.*
The idea that each and everyone can become a 'uniquely significant human being' is brilliant and does make America stand out as a unique fascinating culture, though the idea is also found in England, an example is Mick Jagger, a uniquely brilliant individual. 'An original relation to the universe' also manifested as 'America'. But the Americans of 1850 were still 'English' - the properly American type developed in part by way of the Revolution but had to wait for high cultural events, like the 'Frontier 1850's to 1890's', the 'Civil War', 'Immigration', and the great poets, writers, composers and artists to come. It was a gradual change through time. Emerson was one of the great catalysts. The very first individualists, however, were a number of 1700's Frenchmen, but they were more constrained by notions of 'community'. The police kept files on them, as they seemed 'strange', sitting in cafes writing their own thoughts. They rejected 'hearsay' and the 'official version of history' which was the tradition, the social custom that most French people adhered to. In that 'no generation is better or more right than the current generation' became solely 'American'. An amazing culture was to bloom through the next century, whose energy seems to have been exhausted... Thus a 150 years of Emersonian greatness.
Thank you Alan . You are a master teacher. We have been following your philosophical lessons for a long time. I find these animations so uplifting and i send them to others for inspiration at these contained times. You are doing so very much for humanity! Socrates would be so proud of you.
In a biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson, I read that his views were Highly influenced by the baghwat gita; he also considered it one of the greatest books that he ever read.
Thank you! It seems vital to use your own mind in an epoch where there are far fewer rules and dogmas to direct one's thinking. These videos are such a touchstone in daily life (The philosophical and literature ones especially).
I disagree with you out of pure spite. The gross enthusiasm of your suggestion was a slap in the face. Well, actually no, the truth is I lied before. I really agree with you but I hate myself for doing so.
"How wearisome, Phrenologist, the grammarian, the religious or political fanatic, indeed, any possessed mortal whose sense of balance is lost by the exaggeration of a single topic." If you live within driving distance of Concord Massachusetts, or you happen to go there, plan a visit to Emerson's house - kept as a museum. It's like walking into his house while he was out for a few moments. A must-see for true Ralph fans.
Emerson was also influenced by Vedanta (ancient Indian scriptures), hence his panentheism and the striking similarity between some of his writings and the Upanishads. If you want to know more, check the book "American Veda" by Philip Goldberg.
A nosegay of myrtle, ivy, and laurel for Alan de Botton for encapsulating the essence and quintessence of prominent littérateurs without oversimplifying or dumbing down the salient features of each. It generates an arc of interest and curiosity guiding you to the oeuvre of the author. Alan is pleasure to read and listen to.
Bob Neufeld breathes life into many of Emerson's transcendental writings via richly narrated audiobooks. He also does THE definitive narration of Dostoyevsky's Notes From The Underground.
I was not expecting to see this comment in a thousand years. Bob did a breathtakingly amazing joy....indeed he breathed life into his work...indeed richly. Listened to it for over 4 years every night before going to be, now i would feel disappointed if emerson does not have the voice of his. His essays could not have been read any better. Have you seen any of Bob's video? if so could you suggest me?
@@brookgashe9368 Thousand years... that's funny for me because I'm a rare commenter. His and Ian Mckellen's Gandalf voices are so sagely that I used to have to do impression's of them. If Bob is somebody's grandpa, they are lucky, especially for story time. I haven't seen any of Bob's other stuff, sorry.
@@dapperd9300 I wanna suggest you The Alchemist read by Jeremy iron...His voice is heavenly with a rich low formant...also could not have been read any better. Please tell me what you think after you finished listening to that.
@@brookgashe9368 It had been a long time since I'd read The Alchemist. It was nice to revisit it since it is a wise and mystical book. Jeremy Irons really vivified the characters. He was able to speak with regal confidence through some characters that brought about the air of wisdom. Another narration I like, Peter Kenny's voice for The Witcher books.
Emerson would properly loved me and my ideals that disabilities and disorders don't determine your future, though society want it to be so, and that with determination and will power anything is possible. ^_^ By societys' conventions and traditions I ought to be institutionalized due to all of the numerous of disabilities and disorders I was classified with, yet through my own force and nature I was able to remove myself from such fate. That is why I have such respect and admiration over, what was a unique and new concept for its time, the American individualism and self reliance. This is a very American concept, compare to most other nations, who are still backwards with their treatment towards those with disabilities and disorders. ^_^ I would hate having to beg, pledge and even ask for help from others. For me, it's embarrassing and even degrading, even though so many would say that folks, such as myself, who have disabilities and disorders shouldn't feel that way and we are a deserving group to receive such help, because we have no control over what we are/were born with, compare to people who place themselves in such situations time after time that actually is a burden to the state (ex women just popping out fuck trophies just for government hand out). Even with my ASD, ADD, Learning Disabilities, etc... I dislike asking government for anything and feel that the most severe of cases ought to have those programs, not those of us who are capable of handling our own business or the careless act of popping out kids so irresponsibly. Emerson would be proud of individuals, such as myself, who used the system well, over came their short comings/obstacles and be fully independent, while be disgusted with how people use and abuse the welfare state system that robs from those who truly needs it (veterans, elderly, severely disabled/disordered, etc). Anyways, transcendentalism and its ideals are possibly my favorite aspect of the United States system and culture. I had seen the rest of the world, and when it comes to the treatment of individuals with disabilities and/or disorders, United States is the place to be. No wonder I see so many people with physical and mental disabilities and/or disorders come to the United States and stay here. This is wonderland for us to display that we are worthwhile, purposeful, useful, workful, inventive, innovative individuals.
We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds…A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.
“I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
DallasGreen123 me also
DallasGreen123 well THAT is a wonderful thought!! I always feel mad about not remembering everything I read as if it was somehow wasted. But this metaphor makes so much sense. And when I read back some books that “made” me, it’s as if they were always there in me subconsciously guiding my actions and thoughts.
@S&DH Good man!
Yes,your education in the end make you.
“They have made me” dad gummit
"In the work of a writer of genius, we discover our own neglected thoughts." .... Emerson's ability to express simple insights profoundly was some of the purest enlightenment in the history of language.
Mark Marsh wonderfully put!
One of the greatest quotes ever
Felicity at its finest
Self-Reliance is still one of the best things I've ever read.
ThatKidOverThere As well is Nature
Yes I'm reading that now
Wait what book?
More people should read Emerson, one of the greatest without a doubt, not just as a writer, but a thinker. His words are always with me, a great teacher of life. I'd love to see a video on Carl Jung, please!
My father's name is spelt with a K, not sure if he is noteworthy of a video ;)
@@adamjung6104 Every father is worthy enough.
Self reliance literally changed my life from being a late 20’s living at my moms to having my own home couple years later an that was peak of the recession. It helped me alot since my parents divorced when i was 9 yrs old so it kind of guided me like my dad should’ve if he was present
Emerson, out of all the great thinkers has had the greatest impact on my life; I'm glad he had the same impact on yours.
I'm so glad you've shaped your life into something that you're proud of.
Me, too. I feel you, brother. Hugs and fist bumps!
woohoo, glad that the freshmen english course at my community college did teach Emerson and his Self-Reliance from the get-go!
As I was watching this video about Waldo Emerson I remembered and reread an essay written by my grandmother who has a phD in literature. The subject of her writing is the famous swedish author Fredrika Bremer who among other things fought for womens rights in the 1800s.
She met Waldo Emerson while she was travelling between 1849 and 1851. She had read his writings and was so fascinated with them and the idea of the male voice behind them that she decided to meet him.
They discussed religion, politics and other topics and she wrote in her book consisting of letters from her travels "Hemmen i den nya verlden" or "Homes in the New World" that Emerson had left a longlasting mark on her soul. She also included some translations of his works, which were the first swedish translations of Emerson ever, in her book. She described his writing as "athletic" and wrote about taking pleasure in watching his face, as if the two, from her point of view atleast, had some sort of romantic connection, although the line between friendship and romance was not as sharp in their times.
She visited him on a few occasions while she was in America but they never sent eachother any letters after she went home to Sweden. For Emerson the relationship was likely just a footnote in his life but Fredrika Bremer said she would remember his noble personality that left a lasting mark on her soul and it might have been her friendship with Emerson that gave her the courage to publish her novel Hertha, considered to be the first swedish feminist novel.
What a fantastic story!
@@sukottora Thank you. I am glad someone else found it as interesting as I did :)
👏👏
Wow! Brilliant!
" Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)
One of my favourite Emerson quotations: "Nature still solicits me. Overhead the sanctities of the stars shine forevermore, and to me also, pouring satire on the pompous business of the day which they close, and making the generations of men show slight and evanescent. A man is but a bug, the earth but a boat, a cockle, drifting under their old light."
Emerson's writings resonated with me so much when I was a teenager and I was feeling angsty and rebellious. I first read his one of his essays in school, and though I can't remember the title, it was something about society and how we conform to it. This brought everything back to me. Great feature.
Now I gotta read more of this guy's work.
Sometimes I think about the quotes that are wrongly contributed to him and their impact on myself, which I later found out to be written by someone else. What is the value you place on their prose?
The most impactful teacher I ever had was writing his doctorate on Emerson when I was in high school. Remembering him, I watch this video now
I'm so glad to have learned about Emerson in my 10th grade American Literature class. Such a profound writer.
Thank you for this refreshing look at Emerson. Emerson almost said, "Love is a pleasure that remains a wish. As the longing for love is satisfied, the wish for love increases." This basic sentiment is from the opening of one of his essays, but I find his poems to be much more full of life.
Emerson.
“I was simmering, simmering, simmering. Emerson brought me to a boil.”
Walt Whitman
I feel like this is what great art does to people
I simply love Ralph Waldo Emerson!
The best gift the US gave to the world.
I agree. And i'm not American myself.
I love what the Irish say:
" The thing about the past is it's not the past".
It is great to be always aware of the value of " here and now", but if you claim to have " no past in your back" you may be very mistaken. It is wonderful that looking at the cayman Emerson felt the animal "in himself"... But looking back at the history he could have felt the same way about the caveman too.
I think we should just watch the wonderful lesson " What is history for" by this channel again. That approach to history seems much wiser to me. On that lesson we have learnt to see the history NOT as an " impertinence and injury" but as a source of "solutions and consolations".
Don't get me wrong, I love Emerson. But " trusting nothing but our intuition" is a bit tricky too. I once read an article on a German psychology magazine about a surf photographer. It is a quite dangerous profession. He said he has to trust his intuition a lot: when a wave is coming, he has to "feel" whether he can take a picture upon that one or whether it is too risky. But he also says that his "intuition" in this case, isn't something mystical. It is the result of "experiencing" thousands of waves...That's why now, just when the wave is about to be born, he senses what kind of wave it will be and he can position himself accordingly, without risking his life.
My point is that if "intuition" grows in us after a pile of " experiences" , then it is a good idea to be as "aware" as possible of those incidents, which would also include using our "rationality" as best as we can. I know, this doesn't sound very romantic. But it's a good thing.
What I loved from this lesson is "the emphasis on the value of the ordinary". In his wonderful speech " Art as Therapy" Alain also talks about " the glamour of our fragile existence"... What a beautiful expression.
Emerson says:
"I am thankful for small mercies. I compared notes with one of my friends who expects everything of the universe and is disappointed when anything is less than the best, and I found that I begin at the other extreme, expecting nothing, and am always full of thanks for moderate goods."
By the way congratulations on your one million students! This channel is really the most exciting and hopeful place I know on earth. Thank you so much once again.
everybody imitates something they like about a certain thing
Thanks! I always look for your comments under The School of Life videos.I miss your comments!Greetings from Turkey!
+Feyza Nur Sağlıksever
Cok tesekkür ederim gercekten Feyza:-) Sevgiler!
Very nicely written . I agree with you!
Thanks a lot for reading! Have a nice weekend:-)
It gave me chills, and I feel more alive now. Thank you.
great video overall.... key fact missing was about the origins of his pantheistic way of life that he got from vedic traditions...
Emerson own word- "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us."
+Yash Gupta Emerson didn't begin to read Eastern thought until after 1840, by which time most of his idea were in place. He certainly found there a way to further understand what he had already discovered.
I've always believed that Emerson is one of the most underrated philosophers and essayists. His writing is profoundly eloquent and moving. A must-read for everyone.
Excellent video- one the best, yet! Thank you.
It should be noted that long before the Hippy Revolution, Emerson and Thoreau were reading Eastern philosophy, (especially the Bhagavad Gita), which must have certainly informed their pantheistic beliefs.
To me, Emerson is regarded as one of the greatest due to his inspiration of many; like Thoreau and Whitman, but he also penned Self Reliance and pioneered American transcendentalism.
So you’re saying the ideas within self reliance are original to him? And how did he pioneer Transcendentalism? Was it through works like Nature?
his philosophy reminded me of a poster i made back in high school. we were supposed to make a poster in psychology class depicting who we think we are. loads of ppl cut out their favorite things and just randomly stuck them on a poster. i divided my poster into 4 and had a silhouette in the middle with a white question mark where the head is. the 4 sections depicted the 4 seasons and each season represented a different side of my personality - the spring is sweet; the summer is happy and generous; the autumn cool and intelligent; and the winter cold and distant. the question mark in the middle showed that i wasn't sure who i was without the current society i lived in, but i knew that i could return to nature to be myself, and adapt to whatever environment i was in like the ever changing seasons. i didn't know that was somewhat in line with emerson's philosophy until i saw this video! im glad to know he had similar thoughts b/c i truly admired him.
I hope you got the highest score possible. amazing ideas.
awww thanks!
9 out of 10.
A++ from me!
@@dianeaishamonday9125 Thank you! :D
I love the symbolism. Literally, when he left the land of christianity and priesthood on Christmas Day it's like he left the lies in search of a more pagan route. Like back in kindergarten schools and adults forcibly teach you about christianity and that kinda like represents what he did when he successfully changed the way america saw its cultural and artistic possibilities. Cutting ties with what was originally accepted and used to.
And yet after a great heartbreak and emptiness he ventured to a place he originally wanted to separate from or prove wrong, had like an epiphany that most spiritual people or practitioners get when they meditate. He also has that buddhist wisdom thing going on or any kind of wisdom really you get from studying all religions, cultures and traditions. He got in touch with nature. It's like he went back home. This lightens me up a bit. :)
He went to Europe, the birthplace of Christmas and Center of Christianity.
How have I not heard about him until I read about him in my AP English class? Watching this, seeing the simple yet profound insights he had, listening to the originality of his words and how it still liberates writers today- Emerson is so important to American Literature. His ideas are simple yet still incredibly relevant to today. He's amazing.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." ~Emerson
And a foolish inconsistency will become president of the united states.
@Jashandeep Singh I will most certainly check it out. Thank you!
literally describes why america is so great because of organic solidarity and solidarity with one self
Please do George Orwell!!
Yeeessssss.
Huray!!!
Yes. :D Though I've only done Animal Farm. xp Seems to be an interesting figure.
+Terrible Tallrus I suggest you read 1984
+Akshay Dev Karama Thanks for the suggestion, Akshay! Seems like a good read.
“I am an endless seeker with no past at my back” - Thoreau
That was actually Emerson (in his essay Circles)
WOOO A MILLION SUBSCRIBERS!! Congrats!! Here's to a million more!
I learn alot from you man. thanks! you changed the way I see the world.
To you who produced this and all the other videos: thank you. Thank you for expressing Emerson's central messages. In these ten minutes you managed to sum up the last session on Emerson at university and it was even very entertaining.
Keep up the work!
"And now we rise
And we are everywhere..."
- From The Morning, Nick Drake.
Glad they used his pic in this, too.
It brings a tear to my eye to listen to Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy. He's incredibly Buddhist in thought, whether he realized it or not. We are all profound, we are all infinite, we are so much more than one may initially assume. I will definitely have to read more Emerson in the near future! Thank you, School of Life!
Sarah Hensley
Hey Sarah... Thoreau use to borrow books from Emerson...alot of Eastern texts...You might have fun with Allen Watts, Shunryu Sazuki...
A true revelation of art, that nuances have the loudest utterances. It is a humbling journey to try to master that idea- to write as honest and raw as the writers of that time did. I think we, still today, are just dancing around that idea; we have added our own flavor; however modern poetic writing is its best when it makes the ordinary bloom into the extraordinary.
His words bring me to tears it’s so beautiful
Emerson is the American Shakespeare. This video is superb.
Kind of. He was probably the greatest American writer of all time but didn't write plays like Shakespeare.
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”
finally I found my philosopher and congratulations to the school of life we reached over million subscribers our community is growing let's keep at it!
Emerson allowed me to look outside of a one sided Christian belief that told me it had all the answers; I have been forever grateful.
I first read Emerson during my American literature course at the University of Leiden. We read self-reliance, and one particular quote always stuck with me: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
Emerson was one of the first great mystics as well as writers to come out of America. Reading his works was a philosophical revelation as much as a literary one.
Congratulations on reaching 1 million subscribers! This is honesty one of the best channels RUclips has to offer
Excellent. Especially as the close, has focus on his incredibly broad influence. We live in an Emersonian world.
Ah wonderful! I'm a sort of pantheist as well. I didn't know much about this man, he spoke/wrote what I feel!
You should do videos about John Muir and Walt Whitman.
He praises not so much uniqueness but having conviction for one's own beliefs, whatever they are.
Congratulations on one million subscribers this channel really deserves it!
I like this man. Americans should be proud of this mans views. Ideas.
LOVE RALPH WALDO EMERSON WITH ALL MY HEART AND ALWAYS WILL
I love your guys' literature videos. These and your philosophy videos are always the best. You should really consider doing Hermann Hesse, Miguel de Cervantes, Thomas Mann, or Flannery O'Connor.
If I had to pick one writer who shaped my thinking more than any other it would be Emerson, along with his compadres, Whitman and Thoreau. He’s so eminently quotable and here are my Top 10 favourites of his:
1. *Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.*
2. *Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.*
3. *It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.*
4. *Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen*
5. *Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.*
6. *A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.*
7. *You become what you think about all day long.*
8. *The good news is that the moment you decide that what you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe, you will have shifted gears in your quest for abundance. Success comes from within, not from without.*
9. *Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.*
10. *There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.*
Like the stars ✨ in the firmament there are countless others, but perhaps I should end with this, thereby not taking Emerson’s advice: *I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.*
The idea that each and everyone can become a 'uniquely significant human being' is brilliant and does make America stand out as a unique fascinating culture, though the idea is also found in England, an example is Mick Jagger, a uniquely brilliant individual. 'An original relation to the universe' also manifested as 'America'. But the Americans of 1850 were still 'English' - the properly American type developed in part by way of the Revolution but had to wait for high cultural events, like the 'Frontier 1850's to 1890's', the 'Civil War', 'Immigration', and the great poets, writers, composers and artists to come. It was a gradual change through time. Emerson was one of the great catalysts.
The very first individualists, however, were a number of 1700's Frenchmen, but they were more constrained by notions of 'community'. The police kept files on them, as they seemed 'strange', sitting in cafes writing their own thoughts. They rejected 'hearsay' and the 'official version of history' which was the tradition, the social custom that most French people adhered to. In that 'no generation is better or more right than the current generation' became solely 'American'. An amazing culture was to bloom through the next century, whose energy seems to have been exhausted... Thus a 150 years of Emersonian greatness.
A video on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would be nice too
Thank you Alan . You are a master teacher. We have been following your philosophical lessons for a long time.
I find these animations so uplifting and i send them to others for inspiration at these contained times.
You are doing so very much for humanity!
Socrates would be so proud of you.
Love it! The Nick Drake picture was a niece touch!
I am a grade 11 student and the name of my section is Ralph Waldo Emerson
In a biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson, I read that his views were Highly influenced by the baghwat gita; he also considered it one of the greatest books that he ever read.
I wish you discussed "Experience". That essay changed my life.
Thank you! It seems vital to use your own mind in an epoch where there are far fewer rules and dogmas to direct one's thinking. These videos are such a touchstone in daily life (The philosophical and literature ones especially).
My spiritual brother from another mother 😊
I'm from Brazil. Thanks for every video.
Self-Relience was the most fascinating little book I’ve ever read
Let's celebrate 1,000,000 million subscribers with a Dostoyevsky video:))
+The School of Life Do Thomas Mann!!! And Hermann Broch.
I disagree with you out of pure spite. The gross enthusiasm of your suggestion was a slap in the face. Well, actually no, the truth is I lied before. I really agree with you but I hate myself for doing so.
yes pleaaase!
I plan on reading Dostoyevsky. Where should I star? Beginner
Billional It's best to read his books in a chronological order. But that's just my opinion :)
Thanks. Used to think of myself as introvert and outcast. Now an intellectual independent person.
My all time favorite....cause I agree and understand everything he says...
The school of life shoutout for this amazing intelligential resource, it's up to us all to apply and experience.
Brb..
I love the nick drake cut out! Now that's some real deal stuff right there, man.
"How wearisome, Phrenologist, the grammarian, the religious or political fanatic, indeed, any possessed mortal whose sense of balance is lost by the exaggeration of a single topic."
If you live within driving distance of Concord Massachusetts, or you happen to go there, plan a visit to Emerson's house - kept as a museum. It's like walking into his house while he was out for a few moments. A must-see for true Ralph fans.
FINALLY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Emerson was also influenced by Vedanta (ancient Indian scriptures), hence his panentheism and the striking similarity between some of his writings and the Upanishads. If you want to know more, check the book "American Veda" by Philip Goldberg.
A nosegay of myrtle, ivy, and laurel for Alan de Botton for encapsulating the essence and quintessence of prominent littérateurs without oversimplifying or dumbing down the salient features of each. It generates an arc of interest and curiosity guiding you to the oeuvre of the author. Alan is pleasure to read and listen to.
this video improved my perspective of life
Bob Neufeld breathes life into many of Emerson's transcendental writings via richly narrated audiobooks. He also does THE definitive narration of Dostoyevsky's Notes From The Underground.
I was not expecting to see this comment in a thousand years. Bob did a breathtakingly amazing joy....indeed he breathed life into his work...indeed richly. Listened to it for over 4 years every night before going to be, now i would feel disappointed if emerson does not have the voice of his. His essays could not have been read any better. Have you seen any of Bob's video? if so could you suggest me?
@@brookgashe9368 Thousand years... that's funny for me because I'm a rare commenter. His and Ian Mckellen's Gandalf voices are so sagely that I used to have to do impression's of them.
If Bob is somebody's grandpa, they are lucky, especially for story time.
I haven't seen any of Bob's other stuff, sorry.
@@dapperd9300 I wanna suggest you The Alchemist read by Jeremy iron...His voice is heavenly with a rich low formant...also could not have been read any better. Please tell me what you think after you finished listening to that.
@@brookgashe9368 It had been a long time since I'd read The Alchemist. It was nice to revisit it since it is a wise and mystical book. Jeremy Irons really vivified the characters. He was able to speak with regal confidence through some characters that brought about the air of wisdom.
Another narration I like, Peter Kenny's voice for The Witcher books.
Thank you for this video about Emerson. My instructor linked to this as an assignment. You are appreciated. Liked and subscribed.
"The world makes way for the man who knows where he's going" My favorite Emerson quote.
Congratulations on 1000000 subscribers!!!
Thanks so much
Thanks sir.
a divine voice u hav
Congrats on the 1 millions subs SoL! I've been with this channel since the mere thousands and seeing it grow has been a pleasure
You should do one on Coleridge.
Truly inspiring. Thank you.. would love to see a video on Walt Whitman
Really enjoying these literature entries.
Nick Drake at 3:23... marvelous...
5:28 describes social media to a "T".
Emerson would properly loved me and my ideals that disabilities and disorders don't determine your future, though society want it to be so, and that with determination and will power anything is possible. ^_^ By societys' conventions and traditions I ought to be institutionalized due to all of the numerous of disabilities and disorders I was classified with, yet through my own force and nature I was able to remove myself from such fate. That is why I have such respect and admiration over, what was a unique and new concept for its time, the American individualism and self reliance. This is a very American concept, compare to most other nations, who are still backwards with their treatment towards those with disabilities and disorders. ^_^ I would hate having to beg, pledge and even ask for help from others. For me, it's embarrassing and even degrading, even though so many would say that folks, such as myself, who have disabilities and disorders shouldn't feel that way and we are a deserving group to receive such help, because we have no control over what we are/were born with, compare to people who place themselves in such situations time after time that actually is a burden to the state (ex women just popping out fuck trophies just for government hand out). Even with my ASD, ADD, Learning Disabilities, etc... I dislike asking government for anything and feel that the most severe of cases ought to have those programs, not those of us who are capable of handling our own business or the careless act of popping out kids so irresponsibly. Emerson would be proud of individuals, such as myself, who used the system well, over came their short comings/obstacles and be fully independent, while be disgusted with how people use and abuse the welfare state system that robs from those who truly needs it (veterans, elderly, severely disabled/disordered, etc). Anyways, transcendentalism and its ideals are possibly my favorite aspect of the United States system and culture. I had seen the rest of the world, and when it comes to the treatment of individuals with disabilities and/or disorders, United States is the place to be. No wonder I see so many people with physical and mental disabilities and/or disorders come to the United States and stay here. This is wonderland for us to display that we are worthwhile, purposeful, useful, workful, inventive, innovative individuals.
Juci Shockwave - Good point. People would read it if you would break it up into paragraphs. People a daunted by such a block of text.
Congrats on the one million subscribers!!! 🎉🎉🙌😁
+The School of Life that sounds great!
+The School of Life 0:39 milton friedman jumpscare
+The School of Life Probably one of the best videos to date. Thank you, guys!
+yair1010 I agree. This, the Basho and Melancholy videos are my favorites. I watch them all every so often.
Love this writer!
That Changed my life... I just realized that I am a Pantheist... this opens up a whole new world of thought.
read Lao Tzu and Spinoza
Thank you
Beautiful
Refreshing
Emerson, the original American non-dualist!
"There is no knowledge, that is not power"
Unbelievably crafted. This is some of the finest content on youtube
Beautiful. I am at loss of words. Thank you.
He's one of my favorite writes
He's amazing 👏!!
We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds…A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.
I love this channel so much. Thank-you thank-you thank-you so so so much!
Incredibly profound -- thank you, sir
Haha this was on the AP united states history exam today. That exact opening quote.
+Meijke Balay Your test score will now be terminated due to discussing the test.
toneh O_o my offense is rank
College Board is watching
Was it terminated
CONGRATS ON THE MILLION!!!!