> [!cite]- Metadata > 2026-03-11 22:33 > Status: #primary #quote > Lexicon: [[Art & Artistry]] > Tags: `Read Time:` > An American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and critical thinking, as a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and conformity. > [!Quote] > In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. > [!Quote] > To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment --- ### **References** [Ralph Waldo Emerson - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson#HeroSection) [Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes - WonderfulQuote](https://www.wonderfulquote.com/a/ralph-waldo-emerson-quotes?utm_source=copilot.com)