In LOVE with Humanity

Hero #046: Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist and poet who – among many other
achievements -- essentially founded transcendentalism (a belief system that primarily suggests
01) that the divine -- or ―God‖ -- is suffused within the entirety of Nature, 02) that reality can
therefore be best understood by studying Nature, and 03) that an individual may live in either of two
states -- the busy, ―divided,‖ and ―degenerate‖ state where he does not thrive but instead but
identifies with his occupation vs. the ―right‖ and ―elevated‖ state of being where he consciously acts
as being at one with all of humanity, indeed, with all sentient kind) …
In addition, Emerson had the courage and the temerity to publicly challenge the
conservative religious institutions of his day – a choice which led to him being soundly
denounced by many. Later in his life he again became unpopular for his outspoken support
for the abolition of slavery, stating at one point, ―We must either get rid of slavery, or we
must get rid of freedom.‖
―Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave
a trail ::: It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, ‗Always do what
you are afraid to do‘ … Finish each day and be done with it … Tomorrow is a new day;
you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your past
nonsense … The hero is no braver than the ordinary man; he is merely brave for five
minutes longer.‖ ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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