Transcending the Norm Transcendentalism can be defined as the knowledge of oneself and the world that cannot be seen, heard, or touched. Transcendentalists cultivated many new philosophies relating to this knowledge. Although Transcendentalism reached its peak in the 19th-century, it is still relevant to current American culture through its principles of living in the present, independence from technology and material objects, and Civil Disobedience. One vital tenet of Transcendentalism is of living life in the present. Henry David Thoreau, a Transcendentalist, says, "time is but a stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remain"
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Thoreau says, "we do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us" (Thoreau 85). In this passage, Thoreau describes the dependence on technology and tangible objects that humans possess. People assign the amount and expense of the material goods a person has as a determinant of his or her success. In reality, an individual's happiness is a better rationale for success. In the 21st-century, society revolves around technology and material wealth. The University of Glasgow conducted a study that found that many people check their email up to 40 times in one hour. Chicago University's Booth Business School conducted a study that found social media to be more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol. These studies depict how dependent on technology people are. Humans are also dependent upon material wealth to assess another's success. Money is a contrived, man-made phenomenon. The road to success starts when a person is young and in school. If they make grades in school that warrant acceptance into a prestigious secondary education, they can then utilize that education to work in a field that earns a great amount of money, and then use that money to buy a large amount of expensive items. Therefore, a person's success in school and in work can be determined by the amount of expensive objects they possess. This shallow way of determining success in life …show more content…
Thoreau encourages people to be civilly disobedient against their leaders and to fight for what they believe in. Thoreau says, "there are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing" (Thoreau 275). Transcendentalists feel that even if people are upset with their governments' actions, they do not attempt to change anything. In his time, many were upset about the Mexican-American War and slavery, but not many people were willing to speak out against the government. However, Thoreau encourages people to speak out because that is the only way it will ever be changed. A 21st century example of this took place January 25, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt when Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who had held this position of power for 30 years, faced the first challenge to his power. In Tahrir Square in Cairo, over a million protestors gather, fighting against police brutality, a lack of free elections or speech, high unemployment, low wages, and many other issues. These protestors came from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds. Mubarak ended up stepping down on February 11, 2011. This revolution influenced revolutions in a multitude of other countries. The Egyptian Revolution
Thoreau says, "we do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us" (Thoreau 85). In this passage, Thoreau describes the dependence on technology and tangible objects that humans possess. People assign the amount and expense of the material goods a person has as a determinant of his or her success. In reality, an individual's happiness is a better rationale for success. In the 21st-century, society revolves around technology and material wealth. The University of Glasgow conducted a study that found that many people check their email up to 40 times in one hour. Chicago University's Booth Business School conducted a study that found social media to be more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol. These studies depict how dependent on technology people are. Humans are also dependent upon material wealth to assess another's success. Money is a contrived, man-made phenomenon. The road to success starts when a person is young and in school. If they make grades in school that warrant acceptance into a prestigious secondary education, they can then utilize that education to work in a field that earns a great amount of money, and then use that money to buy a large amount of expensive items. Therefore, a person's success in school and in work can be determined by the amount of expensive objects they possess. This shallow way of determining success in life …show more content…
Thoreau encourages people to be civilly disobedient against their leaders and to fight for what they believe in. Thoreau says, "there are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing" (Thoreau 275). Transcendentalists feel that even if people are upset with their governments' actions, they do not attempt to change anything. In his time, many were upset about the Mexican-American War and slavery, but not many people were willing to speak out against the government. However, Thoreau encourages people to speak out because that is the only way it will ever be changed. A 21st century example of this took place January 25, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt when Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who had held this position of power for 30 years, faced the first challenge to his power. In Tahrir Square in Cairo, over a million protestors gather, fighting against police brutality, a lack of free elections or speech, high unemployment, low wages, and many other issues. These protestors came from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds. Mubarak ended up stepping down on February 11, 2011. This revolution influenced revolutions in a multitude of other countries. The Egyptian Revolution