The Romanticism time period was a huge contributor to what literature is today. It was one of the first forms of American writing which was spread and read throughout the United States. The view points during this time period however were very different. Some wrote as Transcendentalists who were very optimistic about the world and believed everyone was naturally good. On the other hand, there were the Anti-Transcendentalists who were pessimistic about the world and only saw the evils a person brings. But the correct view at this time was the Transcendentalists in that the human mind was the most powerful force in the universe.
The Transcendentalists believed that the human mind was the most powerful force in the world and believed the human mind could unlock any problem no matter how tough. According to most scientists “the brain is the source of all our behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and experiences” (Cox). This shows that the brain controls everything that people do, think, and say. Therefore, it is the mind is definitely a powerful force if it controls every ones actions and feelings. Second, in the story “Self-Reliance” it explains how powerful the mind is and how being an individual is so important to society.
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 391). In this quote Emerson describes how important it is to trust yourself and use the mind to the fullest. And in doing so, you become an individual with your own thoughts and you are able to show off how powerful one’s mind can be. Although people might contradict or criticize someone’s beliefs, humans must show their own personality. Without people going against what others thought was wrong and not using their own mind, the world would never have the knowledge it has today.
So much knowledge is in the world today. If it was not for the Newton’s, the Galileo’s, or the Socrates’ we would not have the knowledge that is in every aspect of the world. During their time they were criticized and mocked for the foolish things they claimed to have figured out. They were misunderstood and many believed they were liars or just insane for what they believed in. But they stuck to their individuality and became some of the greatest and most important discoverers to ever live. Without these men’s great minds, the world would be nowhere close to knowledge we have today.
This example shows that the human mind is one of the most powerful sources in the universe today. Along with Emerson, his protege Henry David Thoreau wrote many Transcendental based writings. In his story titled “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau writes, “Government is best which governs not at all” (412). This shows how Thoreau is in favor of individualism and letting people use their own mind. If one person was to take control and make everyone become the same, there would be a very small amount of knowledge and what the dictator, king, or queen would believe would go.
Without a government that lets people use their mind we would never have the knowledge we have, and never know how much power it holds. The human mind is by far the, strongest force found in the world. Without the human mind no one would be able to think or do anything on their own. We would all be like robots programmed to do the same thing and the world would be a boring place. Along with that, people would have no knowledge about the wonderful world they live in. Humans would have no idea why things fall to the ground, they would still probably never know if the world is flat or round, how the solor system works, certain math equations.
None of these would have be created or proven without the use of the human mind and the misunderstood people sticking to their individuality. The mind is so powerful that “we solve most of our routine problems unconsciously” (Sarkar). Our mind not only tells us what to do when we want it do, it controls the body sometimes without even the person thinking. This once against proves the point that the human mind is the most powerful force in the universe.
Works Cited
Cox, Jennifer. “Understanding the Human Brain. ” Children’s Britannica. 13 Aug. 2004: n. page. Britannica, Inc. Web. 5 Mar. 2010. < http://www. sfu. ca/~dkimura/articles/britan. htm>. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self-Reliance. ” Literature: The American Experience. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 391-92. Print. Sarkar, Bharati. “Consciousness – Our Third Eye. ” Life Positive. 9 Sept. 2009. Life Positive Foundation. Web. 5 Mar. 2010. <http://www. lifepositive. com/Mind/consciousness/ human-consciousness. asp>. Thoreau, Henry David. “Civil Disobedience. ” Literature: The American Experience. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 412-13. Print.
