Stefany Alicea

ELA 11
Paul Healy
EOC Reflection
All books, and readings, have different themes that can be taken away. The
readings during the ELA 11, had common themes of self-reflection and the
importance of analyzing the world around us. One of my favorite readings, however,
is Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, where he discusses that there is a time
in every mans education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance;
that imitation is suicide. In this quote, Emerson states that through
experience/education, people will come to the conclusion that envy is simply a side
effect of not being aware of what one already has. This reading really made me stop
and think about what true happiness meant. Emerson talks about how being an
individual is important for our society. It is important to know that everyone defines
themselves differently, and that doesnt mean that theyre wrong. One of my
favorite quotes is: the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong is
what is against it. In this quote, Emerson sums up what I have been thinking for
years. It is not wise to black and white the world because, often enough, rights
and wrongs intersects and no one can truly distinguish the two. This really made me
feel more confident in my decisions, and reminded me to be less judgmental of
others.
People who are in privileged positions should never take advantage of those
who are not. I have always known this, and fought hard against it. For me, this
means that human rights should be exercised and knowledge, of the times when
they are infringed upon, should be shared. This means different things for me; from
thinking about the fact that many women around the world are raped, beaten, sold,
and married at ages as young as 12, to the fact that our government, or media
personal, do not reflect the population they are trying to serve. This all angers me,
and it comes it waves. There are different ways to think about each topic, but fixing
it has taken decades, and will probably take more. Knowledge is often
misunderstood, as it is seen as weak, when in reality the masses only revolt after
they have the knowledge of the abuse they have suffered. Knowledge is what has
cause all the revolutions in the world, and reading is a way of learning the lessons
the dead have left behind.
Emersons Self-Reliance paper gave me a new way to look at the world.
Emerson was an incredibly insightful person and being able to read his thoughts
was incredible. I agree with his thoughts that all people are truly good, for the most
part, they are taught that what they are doing is right. I believe that people can
understand when something they do is wrong, or right, depending on how they feel
after. Knowledge wills people to understand and help. It is easy to blame people for
the position they are in, but it is harder to understand where they are. This is why
education and experience are a way to gain a good understanding of the world
around you.