"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’ve been thinking about this passage in Emerson’s Self Reliance today. I’ve known of it for many years and sometimes I look to it for inspiration. Since I am reading Self Reliance and I came across it yet again this morning, I couldn’t help but pause and ponder. “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines”. What does this quote really mean? I suppose it could mean a million things to a million people but for now I can only be concerned with what it means to me. To me it means to live in the moment, to be unafraid to try new things and seek adventures both big and small. I also interpret it as to be courageous, be your own person and not be lazy, do the easy thing and follow the crowd. I think it means to think big, dream big and love big so not to waste your great soul and confine it into the servitude of self. For every soul can be great!
I think this philosophy explains a lot about me and the way that I am. I think it explains why I dip my feet into many pools and feel the need to go in many directions with my free time. I’ve written for papers, written for websites, done radio shows, written and performed poetry, made films, joined numerous social clubs and sports teams (even in sports I’m not experienced in), worked in various fields, studied numerous others, and pick up and discard hobbies like life was some kind of race. I’m not going to sit here and proclaim to everyone that I have a great soul but I often live like I believe that I do.
I think of life as ever evolving. We change, we grow and we gather knowledge. Yes we get content from time to time but I do not think we should stay there. I’m not saying we should hop from one job to the next nor share our bed with one person to the next just to “satisfy the soul”. I think you can pick your spots to taste life and you can do so with the utmost respect for your neighbor and yourself. You must remember that while your own needs are the most important to you that you live in a world with other people. People aren’t there to be used, they are there to be loved. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason… you should treat people how you want to be treated. That, my friends is a wise consistency.
Emerson does not really touch upon the topic of a wise consistency but since he qualified a “foolish” one we are left to think that he intended a difference. The bottom line is we’ll have to interpret it ourselves. I think a wise consistency is living a good life, full of wonder, expressing ourselves, loving, giving and living in the moment. I think it’s helping each other when we are able and thinking for ourselves even if that means our ideas and opinions isolate us from the world and we are going against the grain. Regardless, I think the message is, mix it up, be open minded, take risks, think outside the box and don’t be afraid to be you.
Do you have an opinion on what he meant? What do you think about the foolish consistency or what I have to say about it? If you are not sure you understand what I’ve said I won’t fret… to be great is to be misunderstood!
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