Examples Of Transcendentalism

As Henry David Thoreau, a famous figure in transcendentalism, said, “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement which targets human relations and decisions in order to lead to a simple and more enjoyable life. The key principles of transcendentalism are nonconformity, self-reliance, free thought, confidence, and importance of nature. Transcendentalism and its principles have had a large influence on society and is very significant to the world. The influence of transcendentalism is evident worldwide, past and present. Without the early transcendentalist thinkers who engaged in free thought, our world may have been a different place. As one example, Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Martin Luther King Jr., …show more content…
For instance, transcendentalism is widely evident in popular culture, which includes songs and films. A great example of this is the song “The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco. Fiasco’s song emphasizes the principle of confidence and nonconformity. For example, Fiasco sings “never put them down, you just put your arms higher.” His message is to always believe in oneself and his or her abilities and push oneself to achieve greater and better things in life. He also stresses that even when there is an obstacle or challenging situation ahead, an individual should never conform. From the film “Batman Begins”, the main character Bruce Wayne falls into a hole in the ground as a child. As his dad pulls him out of the underground cave, he asks Bruce “why do we fall?” His father then answers “so we can pick ourselves back up.” This quote speaks directly to self-reliance. Self-reliance involves an individual trusting himself or herself to do what is right, especially in times of trouble, to benefit themselves and sometimes others. Even in popular culture, the influence of transcendentalism is