Going Against the Established (Opinion) Truth
In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay, “Self-Reliance”, he states, “On my saying ‘What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within?’ My friend suggested – ‘But these impulses may be from below, not from above.’ I replied, ‘They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil’s child, I will live then from the Devil.’” “Self-Reliance” is about differing from the status quo and doing what one believes to be true. Sometimes following one’s own path involves going against the flow of others and what the majority considers to be the truth, as the established Church was to Emerson’s community. I chose this quote because I believe that the truth can be something that no one considered before, something that only a particular individual can see. Naturally, they would have to go against what the world deems as true because they cannot truly believe in anything they do not deem as true. A similar concept can be seen in other forms of literature and world studies.
In The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, Taylor Greer believes, that regardless of what the law says, Turtle is her daughter and absolutely nothing less. In Cask of Amontillado, or The Casque of Amontillado, Montresor believes he has rid the world of a nuisance rather than committed a horrific crime against a fellow man. In both cases the law is seen as the established truth that our main characters rebel against because they disagree. Though Taylor for righteous reasons and Montresor for selfish ones, both did it in an effort to do what they thought was right. So goes the double edged spear of opinion.
World Studies is a broad subject spanning across physical and cultural bounds. As it always has been, music is an important part of the world’s culture. Though the majority of my family favors pop music, my mother’s favorite tends to be country rock. She goes against what her family believes is true because she finds it to be the superior music. In a long ago and hopefully healed wound upon the past, there was a feud between the members of the Pagan religion and those of the Puritan Church. Though they were doomed to be persecuted, the Pagan “witches” stuck their ground in Salem because they believed they were in the right.
True, opinions differ immensely based on background, personal belief, and experiences. They may be culturally seen as acceptable or on the other side of such a spectrum. Regardless, we all have the right to go against what others see as true because our lives have changed how we see the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed so, and taking his own advice has become a name relevant to philosophers everywhere. We as humans should embrace the individuality we are given. Though we are similar in molecular makeup, we are beyond unique in how we think, how we feel, and how we believe. So is the flaw in the human design, so is it’s perfection.
In The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, Taylor Greer believes, that regardless of what the law says, Turtle is her daughter and absolutely nothing less. In Cask of Amontillado, or The Casque of Amontillado, Montresor believes he has rid the world of a nuisance rather than committed a horrific crime against a fellow man. In both cases the law is seen as the established truth that our main characters rebel against because they disagree. Though Taylor for righteous reasons and Montresor for selfish ones, both did it in an effort to do what they thought was right. So goes the double edged spear of opinion.
World Studies is a broad subject spanning across physical and cultural bounds. As it always has been, music is an important part of the world’s culture. Though the majority of my family favors pop music, my mother’s favorite tends to be country rock. She goes against what her family believes is true because she finds it to be the superior music. In a long ago and hopefully healed wound upon the past, there was a feud between the members of the Pagan religion and those of the Puritan Church. Though they were doomed to be persecuted, the Pagan “witches” stuck their ground in Salem because they believed they were in the right.
True, opinions differ immensely based on background, personal belief, and experiences. They may be culturally seen as acceptable or on the other side of such a spectrum. Regardless, we all have the right to go against what others see as true because our lives have changed how we see the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed so, and taking his own advice has become a name relevant to philosophers everywhere. We as humans should embrace the individuality we are given. Though we are similar in molecular makeup, we are beyond unique in how we think, how we feel, and how we believe. So is the flaw in the human design, so is it’s perfection.