Emerson

Individualism-Individualism means to be yourself and not hide your true identity because someone else thinks and says you are wrong. This also means to be independent and not a follower. In the passage "Self Reliance" Emerson states that "The power which resides in him in nature, and non but he knows what that is and which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried". This quote shows that people need to show their individuality and no one knows how "power" they have until they show other people.

Self-Reliance-When most people think of self reliance today, they think or someone being able to use their resources to take care of themselves. When transcendentalism was becoming more popular, self reliance was thought of almost like intuition. People who showed self reliance meant that they would make decisions based on what they think they should doing instead of other people telling them what to do. As you can see, this is similar to intuition and ties in with individualism also. In the passage "Self-Reliance" Emerson gives examples of how people don't believe in themselves. Emerson states "In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with certain alienated majesty" This quote explains that people don't trust themselves when they do great things.

Optimism-Optimism has always been a controversial topic. People express optimism in different ways whether its 'good' or 'bad'. Different opinions define whether someone is right or wrong about a topic. In the passage "Nature" Emerson shows how he is always optimistic. The quote "I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me" explains how reading and writing takes him to another world where he does not feel alone, although he is alone in the real world.

Intuition-Intuition is when people act upon what they first think to. People who listen to their heart instead of what everyone else says/thinks is intuition. The quote "Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string" in "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson states that people should trust themselves and go by their intuition. By following your instincts, you stand out and also show the other traits of transcendentalism.