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Emerson proposes the idea that, "Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. Its progress is only apparent like the workers of a treadmill. It undergoes continual changes; it is barbarous, it is civilized, it is Christianized, it is rich, it is scientific; but this change is not amelioration. For every thing that is given something is taken. Society acquires new arts and loses old instincts" (45).

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Emerson says, "If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your own companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men's, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth" (30).

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Emerson states, "I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching" (29).

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Emerson asserts that, "He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time" (23).

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Emerson says, "Whenever a mind is simple, and receives a divine wisdom, old things pass away, - means, teachers, texts, temples fall; it lives now, and absorbs past and future into the present hour" (22).

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Emerson notes, "But perception is not whimsical, but fatal. If I see a trait, my children will see it after me, and in course of time, all mankind, - although it may chance that no one has seen it before me. For my perception of it is as much a fact as the sun" (21).

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Emerson says, "Honor is venerable to us because it is no ephemeris. It is always ancient virtue. We worship it to-day because it is not of to-day. We love it and pay it homage because it is not a trap for our love and homage, but is self-dependent, self-derived, and therefore of an old immaculate pedigree, even if shown in a young person" (16).

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Emerson states, "To be great is to be misunderstood" (14).

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Emerson recognizes that, "This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in particulars. Their every truth is not quite true. Their two is not the real two, their four not the real four: so that every word they say chagrins us and we know not where to begin to set them right" (10).

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Emerson says, "Then, again, do not tell me, as a good man did to-day, of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor?" (7).

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In this quote, Emerson is saying that while society is ever-changing, all change comes at a cost and man calls it advancing but it is just evolving and changing in the same spot.

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In the quote, Emerson is saying that man must be as candid is nature is - truly real and raw. Until he does this, he will never achieve true happiness or liberation from time.

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In this quote, Emerson is saying that as long as he views something in a certain way and he has followers of this perception, it can be considered infallibly fact. This is based on the circumstances of conformity and following a certain group - he is saying it is virtually the same thing seen in religion and politics.

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In this paragraph, Emerson says that society is always losing something but is compensating for the loss and is calling it advancement. He also compares a rich white man to a New Zealander. He says that if both men were struck with an axe, the New Zealander has won because he is self-reliant and built himself up alone, while the white man relied on others for his success so he would not be able to tend to the wounds in the way that his counterpart is able to. In other words, self-reliance builds "thicker skin".

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Throughout this paragraph, Emerson compares man to nature and says that man should be ashamed before aspects of nature because they are simple and real. Nature should be a role model for all men in order to reach happiness. He also discusses how man dwells too much on either the past or present and is never honed in on present-time. There's always been one thing to dwell on in the past or one is always trying to get a foot ahead in the future.

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In this paragraph, Emerson urges the recognition of man's involuntary perception and claims that it is what holds his true character and being. He believes God gave every man an aspect of wisdom in which no atheist can denounce him of, and he must tap into intuition and instinct to truly understand and embrace this wisdom.

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By which statement, Emerson questions why the burden of others is put onto his shoulders. He asks why he is considered obligated to help the poor when he played no contributing role in their becoming poor.

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This pithy statement is saying that the greatest minds are and have been the unique ones that were not understood by the majority.

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Emerson is saying that because everyone conforms to one attitude and one mindset, there is no differentiation between individualism and groupthink. (Groupthink: the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives) Due to this inability to recognize unique ideas, society doesn't know where to begin to mend this issue because no one knows what each other are really thinking.

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This quote is saying that the idea of honor is so respected now because it no longer exists. Honor is achieved through self-reliance and since society cannot think for itself anymore, honor may as well be considered ancient, even if it does seem to be in a young person.

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Emerson is stating that when a simple mind (meaning nonconforming), is given some sort of wisdom, man learns to think for himself and generate his own ideas and forgets the teachings given to him by others.

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Emerson is saying that if one contains different beliefs (truths) than him, do not attempt to convert him or conform to him, but seek people who share similar views. This will prevent the loss of self, and prevent one from living a lie which is so long accepted as truth.

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In this quote, Emerson is establishing that he is in fact religious, but not to a "dead Bible Society" (10), but that he found his own sense of religion through himself.

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The paragraph from which this quote is pulled is refuting the idea of social responsibility: an expectation that people will help those dependent on them. He criticizes formal college education, popular charity, and relief societies and claims them to be in vain. He believes that people should help themselves.

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In this paragraph, Emerson discusses how being part of groups such political parties and churches, skews and changes individual and original thoughts and ideas and asserts that it takes away from a man's wholesome character.

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In this paragraph, Emerson lists philosophers and great thinkers such as Socrates (best known with others Plato and Aristotle), Jesus, Martin Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, and Isaac Newton, as examples of the greatness that can come from individualism. The one thing that all of these men had in common was that they were rebuked and misunderstood by the many until after their deaths, which led to the uprising of their ideas.

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Throughout this paragraph, Emerson discusses the consequences of conforming and how every man should allow "light in" to show their character. He believes that if a man acts out for his genuine self, it will reveal who he is and if he conforms, no one will really see him. By using the reference of light, it is logical to assume that he is referring to the Bible, during the creation of heaven and earth, when God said, "Let there be light" and then there was light to illuminate the darkness.

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In this paragraph, Emerson says not to listen to the people who try to shape your mind a certain way, but to think only for yourself. He again compares the soul to light, having been given to man by God.

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Emerson discusses a variety of topics: all men share the same blood, therefore there is nothing that separates us from one another; we are all the same; isolation is sometimes necessary for soul-searching; maintain a strong self and let the light in when it is there to guide you.

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Emerson is talking about one's sense of self and self acceptance, and to live solely for oneself and no one else. He says that while it might be hard to act as his true self, one will begin to embrace and accept oneself as they are. As others begin to understand this concept, they will follow the example in suit.