Ralph Waldo Emerson believes that man should be dependent of only himself. He must break away from the conformity of society and detach himself from friends and family in order to be a true man. Many, in today's society, agree with Emerson, in some way or another, on that concept of independence. Although it is a much more modern thought of independence. We see independence as going to college for the first time, and having to cook and do your own laundry. Or as the responsibility of owning a car, and having to pay bills for the first time. In any case, society today does not see independence and nonconformity through the same eyes as Emerson.
             Emerson states, "Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist", suggesting that in order for a person to become an ideal man, he must not follow the crowds of the present or the past. He encourages man to simply follow what he feels inside, to go with his intuition, and to trust. Emerson emphasizes, "Insist on yourself; never imitate", declaring his belief on the importance of challenging yourself to be true and not looking to the past scholars for knowledge.
             I found a magazine ad that has interpreted Emerson's notion on self-reliance in its own way. On it, there is the face of a young lady, probably in her late teens or early twenties. What draws your attention is her extra long eye lashes, jazzed-out make-up, and long curly hair. On the bottom corner of the ad it states, "Forget conformity." It goes on to talk about fake eyelashes, liquid eyeliner, blush, lipstick, a curling iron, and the price of all these items. This ad is showing a different type of look for girls, hence stating, "forget conformity", which is one of the main themes in "Self-Reliance". They want you to have a distinctive look and to try something new by buying their products. Of course, when Emerson spoke about being an individual, he did not have this make-up ad in mind. I do n...