Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Self-Reliance
    Self-Reliance
    Self-Reliance
    Audiobook1 hour

    Self-Reliance

    Written by Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Narrated by Kurt Andersen and Joyce Bean

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Redefining the classic essay, this modern edition of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous work, Self-Reliance, includes self-reflections from both historical and contemporary luminaries. With quotes from the likes of Henry Ford and Helen Keller to modern-day thought leaders like Jesse Dylan, Steve Pressfield, and Milton Glaser, we’re reminded of the relevance of Emerson’s powerful words today.

    Emerson’s words are timeless. Persuasive and convincing, he challenges readers to define their own sense of accomplishment and asks them to measure themselves against their own standards, not those of society. This famous orator has utter faith in individualism and doesn’t invoke beyond what is humanly possible, he just believes deeply that each of us is capable of greatness. He asks us to define that greatness for ourselves and to be true to ourselves.

    At times harsh, at times comforting, Emerson’s words guide the reader to challenge their own beliefs and sense of self.

    This modern edition of Self-Reliance is ideal for graduates or those who are in the midst of a career or lifestyle change. Emerson’s sage guidance wrapped in modern-day reflections is a great reminder about the potential within us all and that life is what you make of it.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 25, 2011
    ISBN9781455825677
    Author

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was a prolific essayist, public philosopher, poet, and political commentator who became world famous in his lifetime and influenced authors as diverse as Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Friedrich Nietzsche, W. E. B. DuBois, and others.

    More audiobooks from Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Related to Self-Reliance

    Related audiobooks

    Philosophy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Myth Of Sisyphus

      Aug 10, 2020

      The Myth Of Sisyphus
      10 min read

    • Article

      What’s On Your Mind?

      Aug 1, 2019

      What’s On Your Mind?
      4 min read

    • Article

      “Is Life Worth Living?”

      Mar 4, 2019

      MY PURPOSE IS CHIEFLY to describe what is bothering a good many people today, rather than to go deeply into the causes of disquiet and unrest in the Western world, much less to offer remedies or advocate revolution. I take it for granted that we all

      15 min read

    • Article

      Collins Ferry Landing

      Jul 1, 2020

      for my father Only rivers bottom out like this.Only rivers bottom out with this kind of conviction.Not humans, or, at least, not humans asindisputably human as you were,trapped in consciousness’s surplus, exilic,animalized absurdity, writhing in its

      5 min read

    • Article

      Agony Uncle

      Dec 5, 2023

      Agony Uncle
      2 min read

    • Article

      My Existence Is No Longer Up For Debate

      Aug 26, 2022

      It’s the early hours of the morning at a festival and I’m vibing to some music whilst nursing my night cap. I feel truly at peace. A rare feeling indeed. But my calm bubble is broken when a family friend not so subtly segues the conversation onto “th

      2 min read

    • Article

      Self-Compassion

      Mar 1, 2024

      Self-Compassion
      5 min read

    • Article

      Turning Toward Life

      Apr 1, 2020

      Turning Toward Life
      6 min read

    • Article

      Words That Need To Die

      Dec 4, 2022

      Words That Need To Die
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Letter To My Son.

      Jun 3, 2021

      A Letter To My Son.
      7 min read

    • Article

      Chivalry Ain’t Dead

      Jun 9, 2021

      Chivalry Ain’t Dead
      4 min read

    • Article

      Farewell to Niceness

      May 2, 2019

      Farewell to Niceness
      3 min read

    • Article

      Chivalry ain’t dead

      Apr 15, 2021

      Chivalry ain’t dead
      5 min read

    • Article

      Perception

      Nov 7, 2020

      Even the simple act which we describe as ‘seeing someone we know’ is, to some extent, an intellectual process. We pack the physical outline of the creature we see with all the ideas we already formed about him, and in the complete picture of him whic

      3 min read

    • Article

      Indya Moore

      Mar 26, 2021

      Indya Moore
      14 min read

    • Article

      How To Win Friends

      Jun 30, 2021

      ‘Call it vanity if you will but, from a very early age, my great object was to make every man and every woman love me.’ 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1674-1773) Chesterfield’s ambition strikes a chord today (particularly as we re-enter society after the

      3 min read

    • Article

      Your Liberation Is On the Line

      Feb 5, 2019

      Your Liberation Is On the Line
      13 min read

    • Article

      The Final Truth

      Jan 21, 2020

      The Final Truth
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Self-Reliance

    4/5

    174 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      One of the most timeless pieces of text I have ever encountered. First, the physical copy, then the ebook, now the audiobook. It has evolved with our society for over a 100 years. It’s not for everyone but it’s for self. Know that!
    • 3/5
      Eye-opening but deeply mistaken. Emerson sounds like the father of the modern trans movement. He says that we should trust our own feelings and abandon all rules and conventions from other people.
    • 1/5
      Even at .8 speed the narrator rushed through this at a pace that was dizzy. I got nothing from listening for 30 minutes. Moving on
    • 5/5
      I don't usually read / listen to this kind of writing, but I have to say that Mr Emerson has written this piece in a very masterful way! It is romantic, intellectual and so deep that u have shield yourself from your surroundings and place yourself to the writings to comprehend what the author wants to say. Will surely listen again.
    • 5/5
      Emerson's Self-Reliance is considered by many to be integral to the beginning of the transcendentalist movement, and while I am not especially a fan of transcendentalism as a whole, I do believe that this work is one of the more coherent proponents of the individual over society. Some of Emerson's arguments against the individual obtaining anything useful from societal, familial, religious, or governmental organizations may lend themselves towards an increasing slide towards solipsism - nothing exists in a vacuum - and his apparent distaste for travel seems xenophobic in nature (if not intention), his overall treatise that exceptional individuals (he tends to focus on 'artistic geniuses' more often than not) become so by rejecting cultural norms and accepted knowledge and distancing themselves from the common man and his organizational trappings. There are definitely holes in some of his arguments that could be exploited in an open debate, but the bulk of this essay speaks honestly of the need for the individual to seek its own path.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      This short read/listen is a collection of thoughts published by the author. It it urges readers to trust your gut feeling, rather than follow the herd. It was a difficult listen because of it's English construction dates from it's birth in 1841;also, it seemed like a stream of consciousness.