The transcendentalists thought that non-conformity was a great idea. They didn't like the idea of anyone taking the same path as another person, the idea of someone choosing to act like their idol, or the idea of someone purposely trying to blend in with a group. I like that the transcendentalists support choosing to be your own person because I think life is boring if there's not any individuality. Transcendentalism acknowledges the importance of free individual expression. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." Emerson felt that the individuals' personalities were being changed. He viewed this as a problem because he encouraged people to embrace their differences and have confidence in themselves.
As stated above, I like how the transcendentalists wanted everyone to choose to be original. However, I am confused because I feel like if everyone tries to be different, then everyone is the same. I really like this cartoon and it perfectly shows what I am trying to say.
You can see that each person in the cartoon is actively trying to be a non-conformist, but they end up all being the same. The end result is exactly what they originally wanted to stray from. In my opinion, we shouldn't try to be anything. We should simply live and do the things we love. There will always be people with similar interests and hobbies as you, and that is okay. I think as long as you're not trying to change who you really are to be like someone else, you're good. The transcendentalists saw goodness in every human being, so they should have also seen goodness in every personality. I think the important point that should be made is to be you. If you happen to be just like your best friend, that's okay. However, if you change yourself to be just like your best friend, that's not okay. We shouldn't try to be anything but our personalities.