Nature: “Our age is retrospective.” - Humans look backward – they do not participate directly in life, but accept what was learned in the past. - We need to create our own religion, philosophy, poetry, etc. - We should retreat to nature – it will solve all our ills. - We are part of the particle of God – in other words, all aspects of Nature are connected, and we are one of those aspects.

Friendship “But to most of us society shows not its face and eye, but its side and back.” Searching for a sincere person. We are “clothed in false garments” in other words, hypocrites. We hide our true natures. A true friend, and the best type of person, is one who is able to be honest and who is without pretense.

Experience “If a man should consider the nicety of a passage of bread down his throat, he would starve.” Carpe diem Intellectual life looks splendid, but will pale over time Live life to the fullest – make the most of your time, do not be idle but always active. Wish not for a long life, but for a deep one. It’s the grand moments that are significant.

Fate “So long as man thinks, he is free.” Human freedom / free will coexists with fate. Human will prevails. It is in how we react to circumstances that matters.

The Journals “This is that which the preacher and the poet and the musician speak to.” We are made of two distinct parts: That which can be categorized (religion, profession, social, etc) and that which can not (this is the spiritual). This is the best part of us.

Self-Reliance “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” AKA self trust. Human beings will thrive only if they nourish the potential within themselves. Society encourages people to trade freedom and individuality for safety and comfort of traditional beliefs AKA conformity. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines… to be the prisoners of tradition, clinging to it, out of fear, though it has no value other than consistency and safety. We are made up of two distinct parts – the intellectual (taught) part – and the instinctive, spontaneous part – it is this that we should trust.

“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness but must explore if it be goodness…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 shadows on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today. – ‘Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.’ – Is it so bad 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.”