Writing in the Classroom: Puritanism/Transcendentalism Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote Self Reliance to point out how people in this world have allowed themselves to deteriorate in society. Emerson believes that “man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer in an upright position; he does not dare to say 'I think', 'I am', but quotes some saint or sage”. With this Emerson shows that he sees how many people do not say what they want to say and simply repeat what a scholar or professor said. He believes that most people lack the confidence to express their opinions. In Self Reliance, Emerson wrote about his beliefs about self-confidence and how so many people have lost their way simply by following someone who has the confidence to be a leader. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Emerson states in his work that all human beings should be leaders and not followers. Every person has the ability to be a leader and not just listen to what others are doing on the day. He believes that people should want to take control of their lives and do what they want. I agree with Emerson and that people should be leaders and take control of their own lives. Through numerous experiences I have seen that everyone has the ability to be a leader and that the world. From my experiences there is a time when everyone is a leader and the rest is dedicated to listening to what that person. You don't have to be a leader in every situation to think like a leader. I think most of the time it's always a single person who is the leader in any group setting, which isn't always the best fit for the situation. Even though some people are pioneers by nature, they don't always approach situations in a positive way. There are times when expected leaders must step down and let others take control. As Emerson said, all human beings are no longer strong and outspoken. People simply follow what another says to do. Emerson's entire article was about having self-confidence. Outwardly it says that people must become who they really are and not just what society wants. Emerson also talks about how man is afraid to express his opinions to the world. He says people need to be more assertive and have stronger faith in what they believe. Emerson says that people will not say, “I think; I am,” people are afraid to admit to the world what they believe or what they think. Many people feel like they can't say what they want for fear that it will be wrong or that they will be judged for their worldview. Emerson states that since people do not form their own opinions, they must simply say what others have said before. People don't verbalize their opinions, so the world has no diversity in what is said and written. It's always the same thing repeated and reformulated by different people. I think what Emerson says is partly true. I think it's not so much that people don't have opinions, but rather that people don't want to express them as much as others do. To this day I think there are still people who don't share their beliefs with everyone to avoid conflicts and other encounters, but there are many people who feel they have to share their beliefs. A large number of young people today have very strong attitudes towards issues such as equality, the environment or women's rights. Many people feel that the only way to make a change is to make a big fuss about it.