Journal Response 1 First Edit

To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, -- that is genius. Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think that this quote is very important for self growth - it encourages us to be more self reliant and promotes independence.

This quote tells us that to "Trust thyself" is to do what is right, and that as long as we trust ourselves and follow in our beliefs we wont feel guilty or feel bad for what we do. Also, this quote serves as a reminder that as long as we do what is true to us, we won't feel stupid. I think that this quote is not only important for self growth, it is also important in life in general. For instance, in life, you don't want to always be a follower - you sometimes need to believe in yourself and take a stand. For instance, i once "took a stand" in a group project and stood up to the extremely arrogant "leader" of the group. I ended up leading the group instead and I made the project even better than before. You need to sometimes trust your decisions and not let the choice you made bother you, because it is your own choice, and it is because it is your own choice that your heart should "vibrate to that iron string."

Independent people are hard to come by - most are very dependent on others in life; however, it is almost inevitable that anyone that follows this quote in life will be one of the rarer, more independent, and successful people that reap the benefits of self reliance.