ORIGINAL work

  
 

 
   

To be a man, it is the ultimate goal. To stand tall and free of shame, towering above all the rest. To be able to say when asked, "Are you truly free?" "Yes, truly." This is what all man strives for on the most fundamental of levels. Honesty, true honesty with oneself to become a man in its true essence is what many desire, but few can say they have attained. The journey down the path to being human is one that requires the traveler to not just exemplify some cliché qualities that symbolize decency, but to actually live them, thereby exemplifying the lifestyle without attempting to.

  
       A major stumbling block on this path to the higher mind or consciousness has its roots in the very rudimentary levels of what it means to be a man. Perhaps the most basic level is to first come to a consensus on what it is to be a man. Is it to have many possessions and a high status job? Is it to live comfortably with the superficial appearance of stability and happiness? Or is it to have a free mind and a free body in touch with the mind at large?  
       To be a man is to be self-sufficient—to not have to rely on a single human for something that could be done if it were not for lethargy. To, "speak what you think now" without regard to societal perceptions or interpretations, for, "to be great is to be misunderstood." This basic aspect of humanity is utterly unattainable to the minor who conforms into society, the, "joint-stock company that conspires against the manhood of every one of its members." This is the essence of Emerson’s quote noted in Italics at the top of the page. As stated in his essay, Self-Reliance, "the virtue in most request [by society] is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion." If being self-supportive and independent in conjunction with knowledge of the universal mind is the antithesis of conformity, then society is the antithesis of manhood, and manhood is personal identity. To be your own person, free of responsibility to anyone but yourself, to answer to no one but your own conscience and your own heart, knowing full well if you are a failure or not no matter what others think, is the true mark of a man.

 

  
 

And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny . . . [and be not cowards] but guides, redeemers, and benefactors.

 

  
 

     In the highest mind these ideals must be accepted by the true man, for as Emerson also wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." Give no credence to the apparent piety or superiority of those with high titles, but only to those with high expectations and morals. Search out the goodness in ones heart and the rest will follow. Confidence in ones ability to trust their intuition of good is a quality imperative to all men; "Intuition is the self’s "primary wisdom"; it, in turn, derives from that ‘immense intelligence’ flowing through the universe."

  
       There is much to be said for recognizing the power of the mind at large, and to be able to realize that humanity as a whole is utterly insignificant in the grander scheme of things is absolutely necessary for becoming enlightened and a man, an individual. To know that only by living as a man will one be able to be in harmony with nature, nature being everything; "from space, from light, from time, from man." All things are interconnected and interlaced, and being nonabrasive towards nature brings one closer to the universal mind as well as manhood.  
       Taken as a whole, manhood is very complicated, perhaps unattainable. No person is capable of living a perfect life in accordance with all of the things mentioned both here and in Emerson’s Self-Reliance. However, it can also be argued that the largest part of being a man is to know that he is not worthy. To know that is perhaps the largest step. To know what one has erred, which all people do, is instrumental. Knowing that one is imperfect yet still holding themselves to the standards of manhood makes one more of a man than one who claims to be one. This is the culmination of the many aspects of humanity. To be self-reliant and as an individual while maintaining a humble perception of oneself is essential, for by doing this, conformity is impossible, and as we all know, "Whoso would be a man must be a non-conformist."  
 

 

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