Comparing Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau free essay sample

In many works of literature, authors express their viewpoints on society and times in which they live. In the essay â€Å"Self Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, the authors speak out against conformity and materialism in society. Both were romanticism authors during the 1800s. They focused on simplicity and individuality. Both writings can advise teenagers today on the importance of non-conformity and the value of rejecting materialism. In â€Å"Self Reliance†, Emerson discusses being one’s own person and not allowing society to mold someone like a piece of clay; â€Å"Trust thyself† are the exact words he used. Trusting oneself means it is okay to be different if one wants or chooses to be different. It means that one does not have to follow the â€Å"bad† crowd just because everyone else may be choosing to do so. One must know that if they have a good idea and if they believe in that ideaeven if it is different from the norm of societysome people will follow. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Emerson also says, â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist. † This means that to be a true and real person, one must stand up for what they believe in and not allow themselves to be completely changed by society. One must not conform to ways that will cause them to be someone or something outside of their own desires. In the beginning of his writing, Emerson gives us a definition of what he believes defines genius: â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius. ’ This is his way of saying that every person should know that doing what one thinks is right is the best decision—for him/herself. Every educated person does not conform to society if they do not think that society is going in the right path. Emerson also says that people who have good ideas are misunderstood. In his statement, â€Å"To be great is to be misunderstood†, Emerson is saying that most people who had great ideas in history were misjudged because their ideas were not along with the norms of society’s ideas. Therefore, the societal conformists thought that their ideas were wrong. Emerson gives reasons as to why most people conform to society and try to be the same. He says, â€Å"The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency†meaning that people might follow society because that is what they are used to doing. They are only doing what they saw happening when they were younger. Their parents and other adults probably did the same thing that most people do todayconform. Emerson disputes this reason in his statement by saying, â€Å"But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone†. Relying on the past could be problematic when someone questions things since most were probably brought up a certain way and are used to doing things the same way, but never really knew a good reason why to conform. In â€Å"Walden†, Thoreau explains how having less material things can simply your life. He says, â€Å"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things† In saying this, he means to own your items and do not let them own you. Thoreau thinks that people have the desire to own things, thus, causing them to have to use all of their time working to own said things. Working all the time means that one can not do the things that one wants to, and that the items that one desires ends up owning them. Through this statement, Thoreau is basically saying that having all these things such as cell phones, iPods, laptops, and televisions are distracting people from the more important things in life such as family, health, and well-being. One of Thoreau’s famous quotes is, â€Å"Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! † This means to make ones’ life as simple as possible. He thinks that the poor are the fortunate ones since they have the least to look after and worry about while the rich have so much to look after that they do not have time for themselves. Living a simple life enables one to be free of commitment and obligations. One only has to worry about one’s self. Both Emerson and Thoreau believe that following one’s own path in life is the best way to go. They believe that being oneself and having a simple life is the best life. Both lessons can be relevant in today’s society by looking at the rural areas that still exist in the United States. Some of these areas still follow the principle of a simple and non-materialistic life. Their lives are not filled with technology and other things that distract most people from life. Young people (myself included), can take away much from Emerson’s and Thoreau’s writings. I could focus on more important things in life rather than wasting lots of time on unnecessary technology such as Facebook and Twitter. We could use technology under moderation and make sure that those things do not take up more time than necessary in our lives.

Robber Barons and Industrial Statesman Essays -

During the 19th century many groups of people rose in power. There were many political parties such as the Greenbacks/Populists and there were groups of people who rose in our economy such as the so-called ?robber barons? and ?industrial statesman?. Robber Barons were greedy and selfish people that threatenly took away from an area in order to overly-dominate a certain region of people. On the contrary, Industrial Statesmen were giving and morally sound people who own the sphere of industry and help improve society as a whole. Although it?s justifiable to call some people who rose in power industrial statesman, it?s more accurate to classify them as Robber Barons because they were greedy, selfish, and unethical. While myriads of Robber Barons rose in power, many Industrial Statesmen rose and succeeded as well. These giving and morally sound people were people who owned the industrial sphere and who try to better the society. Thomas Alva Edison is an example of a very prominent industrial statesman during the time period. He worked on creating a huge laboratory that will help give many people jobs and create inventions that the people needed. Edison would soon make money off of his company but he did it to help better society as a whole by giving jobs and creating resources they could need. (Doc. B) Due to people like Edison, society was better improved. There were many people during the 19th century that would do anything for money. These greedy people were all over and one of the most prominently known robber barons was William Vanderbuilt. Vanderbuilt was an extremely greedy person who only cared about money. He once made a statement ?The pubic be damned.? In an interview Vanderbuilt had said this talking about the development of railroads; he only invested in the railroads so he could make money for himself. (Doc. A) The railroads were created for public use and to be used to help better our community. However, robber barons such as Vanderbuilt showed how greedy they can be to take something from the public and turn it into something for their person gain. Not only were Robber Barons considered greedy but they were considered selfish as well. When morally sound and ethical people get rich, they tend to use their money to benefit the community. However, Robber Barons were not ethical people; they used their money for themselves and didn?t care about their communities. William G. Sumner is an example of this behavior, he says that when people became rich the money was for their benefit and there benefit only because they are the ones that worked hard to get the money they earned. (Doc. G) Although this may be true, no one person needed as much money as big time entrepreneurs such as Vanderbuilt and Rockefeller were receiving and could help out the community everyone once in a while. Such Robber Barons were unethical, selfish people. Many political and economic groups rose into power during the 19th century. From the Greenbacks/Populists to the Robber Barons/Industrial Statesman, many problems occurred throughout the country. The Robber Barons and Industrial Statesman were people who had tons of power and chose to use it for good and bad. The Barons made selfish, unethical decisions while the Statesman made helpful, ethical decisions reguarding society. Throughout the 19th century, the Robber Barons over-powered the Statesman with their greedy, selfish, and unethical behavior.

Mit Essay Samples - How to Choose Between Free and Paid Resources

Mit Essay Samples - How to Choose Between Free and Paid ResourcesIf you are a high school senior, perhaps it is time to start searching for your college essay topics. One of the best sources of great college essay topics can be found in your own community, as well as in many of the free essays available online. However, how do you know which college essay samples are authentic and which ones are just another troll looking to capitalize on an opportunity?The first tip is to make sure that the college essay samples you are using were written by an actual college student. You need to realize that while anyone can write an essay, not all of them are actually skilled when it comes to the writing process. If the essay is poorly written, it can only end up in a waste of time and money.One of the other best resources for finding free college essay samples is the internet. When you search for college essay samples on the internet, chances are you will find at least a few sources that will off er you a free sample. If the sample is free, there is a good chance that the author did not have to pay for the resources that they used.However, if you are not lucky enough to find many free college essay samples, you may have to pay a nominal fee for some quality information. But remember that this should not be your first choice when it comes to college essay samples. Do not be fooled into thinking that paying for a resource is always better than paying for a sample.Because the internet is full of junk from people who are not experts when it comes to writing, it makes sense to use other sources to get the information you need. So if you are able to find websites that offer free resources for college essays, try to use them to compare the difference between these free resources and the ones that are expensive.You will be surprised at how many different free resources are available online. Many of these may have the same information and use the same templates that are used for paid sources. But by comparing the information, you will be able to see the differences between the three groups.This is important because by comparing the free resource with the paid resource, you will be able to see exactly what each is offering. By knowing what each is offering, you will be able to determine if the college essay samples you are getting are legit or not. But again, when you go with a paid resource, you will be able to get your hands on great information that you could not find anywhere else.While there are no real secrets to finding great college essay samples, by taking the time to compare the quality of resources you will be able to make an educated decision when it comes to choosing the best source for your assignment. Remember that there are many websites that offer a variety of resources for free. Compare these free resources with those that are offered at a price before deciding which one to use.

Alternative Medical Treatments essays

Alternative Medical Treatments essays Alternative Therapy Websites: Fact or Fiction? Much information concerning alternative medicine is readily available on the internet for anyone who may be interested, however, the question remains whether or not this abundance of information is reliable and accurate or pure quackery. The websites being evaluated in this article are http://altmed.od.nig.gov and www.alternativemedicine.com. The differences between these two websites are a perfect illustration that one must be cautious and critical of all information obtained via the internet. The National Institute of Healths website, http://altmed.od.nig.gov, is a good example of a reliable and well-informed source of knowledge. The website clearly denotes contact and sponsorship information on their homepage. It is extremely clear where one would call, email or write if there were questions, problems or concerns. Moreover, it clearly states that one should not use the information obtained by this website to seek therapy or treatment without talking to a doctor or health care provider. It also defines what NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is, what they do and who with whom they are affiliated. Additionally, by clicking on a topic one can easily obtain very specific and well-credentialed background of the director of the program. The entire website is detail oriented, factual and well documented. It is up-to-date as the website says that it was last modified 8/24/01. The NCCAM website was also extremely user friendly (good graphics, well divided subject headings) and easy to maneuver. Overall, this website was an excellent source of information for students, researchers or anyone interested in information on alternative medicine. In contrast to the NCCAM website was www.alternativemedicine.com, The Voice of Health. I found this website rather amusing as it was very obvious that information was not at ...

British Company Woolworth And Causes Of Its Failure Marketing Essay

British Company Woolworth And Causes Of Its Failure Marketing Essay The British Company, Woolworths is normally categorized as a variety store dealing in retailing of a range of varying products. Historically it was established as a subsidiary of an American Company F.W. Woolworth &Co, in 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth It was incorporated in England on 23rd July, 1909 as private limited company with initial capital of 50,250 pound sterling. It, first time floated a new idea of selling all the products at a cost not more than five cents. This idea gained popularity amongst the customers resulting in fast growth of the subsidiary. Its first shop at Liverpool attracted about 60,000 people in first two days because of attractive one penny, three penny and six penny products put at sale. It continued to open new shops at various cities that attracted heavy rush of customers and visitors. It was company’s policy to purchase the products directly from manufacturers, who also were very happy due to momentum in their business as well. Some of the ma nufacturers started doing business solely with the Woolworths and labeled their products with the company’s name. Company’s business grew day by day and it had 31 shops in United Kingdoms by the year, 1914. Due to inflationary trends after the World War II, the company had to do away with its three pence and six pence price limits. It introduced self service first time in its retail side in the year 1955. Woolworth opened about 190 self-service stores by the year 1970. It created new division in the stores by establishing Woolco departmental stores in the year 1966. These stores had full range of quality products like, clothes, groceries, car service and restaurants etc. available at affordable prices. (WGP 2007: Fu 2007) The Company continued to flourish very fast because of its stated aim to remain at the customer’s heart and best kid’s retailer till 1966. But thereafter its sales as well as profits started falling because of its competitors, Marks & Sp encer who overtook its sales as well as profits. The results of the company were the worst in the year 1969, because it failed to chalk out suitable strategies necessary to take on its competitors in the market. Sales at Woolworth began to decline. Consumers were reportedly not satisfied with the quality of customer services of the company. Many of the business sites were not at prime locations. Its new products could not attract the customers because of lack of well trained staff and availability of ‘A class service’. The company tried to improve its services in the year 1971 by introducing new system of centralized payments besides closing its 23 unprofitable shops, as an attempt to trade up. The profits of the company increased to some extent as a result of these measures but it failed to boost up its profits at the desired level. (WGP 2007: Peston 2008) The competitors of Woolworth like Wal-Mart, Argos and Next very soon became more prevalent in the market because o f low prices, better service and vast range of their products. The Management of the company ultimately decided to sellout the Woolco stores in 1977. In the year 1981 it sold-out some of its valuable prime located properties to cover-up the losses suffered by the shops situated at these locations. Even then its profits went down in the said year and the company was forced to cut the dividends first time since its establishment. In the normal restructuring process during the year 1985, the company decided to abandon the sale of food and adult clothing that was contributing about 30% of its overall sales. The Management of the company sold out its 200 unprofitable shops out of about 990, during the years 1982-1991. During this decade company made a number of acquisitions in order to become more diversified in retail business. It launched Music and Video Club that specialized in CDs, videos and other entertainment products. The company succeeded in boosting its sales and turnover durin g 1990s and gave impressive results despite the fact that some of major chains like Wilkinson expanded their business in the Woolworth areas. (FRANCE 2008)

Philosopy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosopy - Term Paper Example Therefore it can be a good thing to lie because by telling â€Å"white† lies we may have the intention of saving others from hurt feelings or we may prevent a crime. In such a case the underlying motivation of the lie is not selfishness, as the intention was to save another’s feelings. If no such underlying selfless motives are present, the outcome of the action can still be positive, as in the example given in this question. This would be an example of act utilitarianism whereby the result of the act is good and therefore the act must be deemed to be good, irrespective of the underlying motivation. Mill explains in â€Å"Utilitarianism† that â€Å"the Greatest Happiness Principle† holds that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, or wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness†. Following that principle, Mill believes that there is no difference in the moral value of an act to help others, or whether the fact that they have been helped is a side effect of an egoistic, self-motivated action. The outcome is the increase of general happiness: a person’s life has been saved, and the person who saved the life has arrived at a financial gain. The act therefore must be deemed moral as it has increased general happiness. An instinctive reaction to this argument for me is that there is a moral obligation and duty to save a person’s life irrespective of any personal gain (Kant’s categorical imperative) and that therefore to save someone’s life purely for financial gain lessens the morality of the action. Still there is a certain compelling elegance in Mill’s argument that, if solely considering the outcome of an action and not the motive that triggered the action, then one is perfectly justified in saying that a person who is lacking ethically sound motivation for his actions is nevertheless still capable of acting in a moral and ethical way. 3.

Advertisers Do Have a Responsibility to Society Essay

Advertisers Do Have a Responsibility to Society - Essay Example Different people today have varying perceptions about advertising in society. However, advertising cannot be considered good or evil. Advertising is like a tool or an instrument; therefore, its users might use it well or badly. Depending on how it is used, advertising might have both negative and positive effects on society. For this reason, therefore, advertisers do have a role in society. Advertising leads to different health conditions in society when the advertisers of junk food develop advertisements that are full of misinterpretation, mixed messages, and which hold important facts from the audience. For example, junk food advertising involves the promotion of literacy, health and fitness, and education (Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, n.d). Because of this, advertisers and other communication professionals have the responsibility of upholding ethics in advertising, which in this case includes dissemination of clear and honest information in advertising (Institute for Advertising Ethics, 2011). According to Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a large percentage of students are exposed to advertising of food, which has minimal nutritional value, and are high in fats and sugar (n.d). As such, advertising of food products should encourage healthy eating, including the consumption of fruits and vegetables (The Children's Advertising Review Unit, 2009). Every year, the rate of obesity among children and youth keeps increasing, and today, one-third of children and youth are obese, or at risk of obesity (Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, n.d). Therefore, advertising should be free of any deception (The Children's Advertising Review Unit, 2009). Advertising is harmful to society when it contributes to the decline in morality. For example, the exposure of children to advertising encourages materialistic values in children (Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, n.d). Because of this, advertisers should demonstrate special responsibility w hen advertising to children, bearing in mind that children have limited capability of evaluating the credibility of information, and might not be capable of discerning the persuasive nature of advertising (The Children's Advertising Review Unit, 2009). According to Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, advertising promotes the sexualization of childhood through the highly sexualized messages in the media ads (n.d). Therefore, advertisers should not include obscene messages and content in advertisements, which are inappropriate for children audience (The Children's Advertising Review Unit, 2009). According to The Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth, alcohol marketing encourages underage drinking (n.d). As such, advertisers should advertise to children, only products that are appropriate for them (The Children's Advertising Review Unit, 2009). Advertising promotes the stereotyping, when it places women at a disadvantage, in relation to the male gender. For example, alcohol adve rtisements portray women as sex objects and as a pretty package to see and not respect (Downing, McQuai, Schlesinger, and Wartella 2009). As such, advertisers should avoid any form of stereotyping and prejudice of any particular groups, but present them in a positive manner (The Children's Advertising Review Unit, 2009). According to the Media Education Foundation (2008), advertising emphasizes beauty and sexiness for women, at the expense of other important values and principles. Therefore, advertisers should encourage the development of positive personal qualities, characters, and values, and serve an educational role to the audience.