014: Emerson – To Be Yourself

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – By Ralph Waldo Emerson

This was drawn by idioticgiraffe. Her cute artwork can be yours, if you visit her link.

For the last comic of this year, I have something simple yet pretty profound to show you. The idea for this one was inspired by someone close to me. The things being said int he background are real things people have said aloud to this friend of mine. But through out it all, she always has had a strong sense of self. I find this to be very admirable.

Humans are social creatures, so much so, that your social environment can even determine the state of your health. It’s pretty easy to see how it can also effect every other aspect of your life, including your personality.

However, there are always going to be those times, when going with the flow really isn’t your thing. Whether it was because you could not or should not, kudos to you for sticking to your own guns.

The quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 19th century thinker. He championed causes like individualism, as can be seen in the above quote. In many ways, people have come to view his works also as a precursor to modern self-improvement books and writings. I personally like quotes that are older, because if they still can be applied today, then they are classics. And so, they can be applied to virtually anyone, anywhere.

If you have a personal story relating to sticking to your own path, or can see how this quote related to your own life, let me know in the comments below.