Trans

“To be a philosopher is . . . so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust.”

To be a philosopher is only complicated to those who chose to live their lives full of high maintenance-standards instead of recognizing the simple values and wisdom life has to offer. Society expects and demands success and happiness but refuses to listen to the philosophers and proverbs that simply explain how to achieve it. We over analyze life too much when the truth in triumph is simple: the ability to listen and appreciate other's wisdom, perform your life simply, and cherish trust. 

It is more than obvious that society has become so money hungry and selfishly driven that simplicity does not exist in our new generations. Those who buy when they NEED something, not when they WANT something; reflect a life or simplicity. Those who fix things instead of replacing things; reflect a life of simplicity. Those who are satisfied with average instead of living conceited and arrogantly; reflect a life of simplicity. Warren Buffet is the second richest man in the world who has also donated over $31 billion to charity. He shares his wisdom to all those willing to listen to it. Here is a link for you. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnDT6P0mBxo) He exudes simplicity and magnanimity. He lives in a small three bedroom house in Omaha that he bought over 50 years ago. He says he has everything he needs in that house and does not believe he needs anything more. He does not carry a cell phone or have a computer on his desk. Buffet believes that we shouldn't buy unnecessary things. He stated that, "The happiest people do not necessarily have the best things, they simply appreciate the things they have."

 http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Warren+Buffet&hl=en&biw=1363&bih=717&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=QNlbjevxLsjfbM:&imgrefurl=http://lynst82.blogspot.com/2012/01/goo-ki-venture-warren-buffet.html&docid=e2OPC1BeFUOwdM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ib4zPxwCW0/TwXARUSP6LI/AAAAAAAAVJw/TMIQxJ2uleY/s1600/warren-buffett.jpg&w=600&h=449&ei=QtB7T9qwFcKA2gWwzNzEDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=761&vpy=203&dur=17&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=127&ty=113&sig=116920720657554339060&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw=212&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:79

Another philosophical concept is "...to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates." Happiness and success result from peace; peace of mind and peace in society. Those who can learn from people and live according to those who are willing to help guide us are those fulfilling this concept. The United States is a great example of a powerful and successful nation that has a bunch of people willing to "listen to its dictates." Many of us, not all, love and learn from the knowledge and wisdom life is offering from experiences and people. We also work together and often times accept working underneath someone to achieve a goal. Those who refuse to "live according to its dictates" or work together for a common cause are going against the purpose and hurt society.  Many nations and their people refuse to listen to others and obey power because their ignorance is apparently stronger than their desire to be successful and happy.

Magnanimity and trust are also two philosophical theories preached by our most brilliant and content philosophers. Younger generations and our generations to come our straying away from our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents magnanimous behavior. Life used to be about generosity and helping people, especially those less fortunate. However, today's society seems to full of a bunch of people who are more concerned about themselves and their materialistic things instead of the true meaning of life. A life full of magnanimity and trust will provide a life of success, happiness, and enjoyment. We have all heard it before, "money cannot buy happiness," yet that is all our society is absorbed with today and unfortunately most go to sleep at night everyday unsatisfied. However, the power in helping people and exuding trust, cannot be bought or beat. Being a person of trust means you care more about the well-being and loving relationship with that person than the temptations that potentially disappoint. Distrustful people are often unhappy people because they have broken many relationships. Bob Marley was and is still loved by the world and was a man of simplicity, magnanimity, and most of all, trust. Trust is not only given but it needs to be accepted. Marley trusted people so much that little worried him and his life was full of joy and success. He refused to lock his car because locking his car was saying he didn't trust people. To trust someone is as fulfilling as being trusted. Trusting a sibling, a parent, a spouse, a friend is so gratifying because of the bond that it brings forth. 

The power to become a knowledgeable and happy "philosopher" in today's society is too easy: appreciate and focus on the important things in life.

Emerson and Thoreau

What is Transcendentalism and how are Emerson and Thoreau related?

 

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Through time every thing has evolved including games we play, the way we live, what things we eat how food is made and how people write. It has evolved into many different forms; some of these forms are literary fiction and non-fiction poems, short stories, and transcendentalism. The following is going to include what transcendentalism is, how Emerson and Thoreau are related to it, and an overall summary.

"Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century." (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/transcendentalism/) They believed a new era was at hand. They preached that the society they lived in was all about unthinking conformity, and that people did not even think about it either. They "urged that each person find an original relation to the universe." (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/transcendentalism/) Their ultimate goal was to was to get closer to man and nature and felt that institutions and society made people conform to lose their individuality and transcendentalist wanted them to realize that and find them selves. Here is a brief video  that shows some ideas and quotes from some influential figures. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jyRZmu9nOQ)

 Transcendentalism was centered around "Ralph Waldon Emerson." (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/transcendentalism/) But another important man is Henry David Thoreau. "Emerson was, as a high-profile writer, lecturer, and editor of the Transcendental periodical The Dial, central among the Transcendentalists. In addition to Emerson and Thoreau, others were involved in the movement." "Emerson was, as a high-profile writer, lecturer, and editor of the Transcendental periodical The Dial, central among the Transcendentalists. In addition to Emerson and Thoreau, others involved in the movement."(Cliff notes) During the uprising of transcendentalism, "the Transcendentalists were only loosely connected with one another. They were not a cohesive, organized group who shared a formal doctrine. They were distinct and independent individuals who accepted some basic premises about man's place in the universe."(Cliff notes) It finally started to flourish when Emerson moved to Concord and published his essay "Nature," which made some intense intellectual ferment. After that it blew up. It was based on ancient ideas. "Transcendentalism was in many ways a radical movement, threatening to established religion." (Cliff notes) There was some arguing on his essay but it was the turning point for transcendentalism.

edgar allen poe

Did he portray his personal life in his writings?

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"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. During these fits of absolute unconsciousness, I drank - God only knows how often or how much. As a matter of course, my enemies referred the insanity to the drink, rather than the drink to the insanity. -- Edgar Allan Poe, letter to an admirer"

http://www.heureka.clara.net/art/poe.htm

In many short stories, many writers put things in their stories that reflect their life or personal problems. Edgar Allen Poe was a literary genius, but readers think his personality and personal problems were translated in his stories. His stories were suspenseful; creepy that often included a mad man or murder. He was an "American short-story writer, poet, critic, and editor who is famous for his cultivation of mystery and the macabre." http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160 In the Tell Tale Heart is one of his most famous stories that have a lot of unknown symbols that entertain the audience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c  For example the murder of the old man in the Tell Tale Heart stemmed from no hostility or anger except fear from the old mans eye. The narrator and the old man had a good relationship and the narrator loved the old man, yet insanity was clearly a factor in this murder. The preparation and clean up in this murder were carefully planned out like a mad man. People wonder if Poe had dark personal problems in his life that prompted these plots in his stories. At the end of the Tell Tale Heart the narrator admits to the police of his murder and the location of the body. The narrator’s guilty conscious drove him insane in front of the cops to lead him to admittance. The readers wonder if Poe had a guilty conscious.

Another example of Poe’s mysterious, gloomy, and depressing life was the Fall of the House Usher. This story immediately starts off with that theme for example, “dull, dark, and soundless day.” (The Fall of the House Usher) Roderick has emotional pain; some think that Poe was suffering with something similar. People who saw the usher house were afraid of its mysterious characteristics and events that took place in it. Roderick's sister is also dying of a mysterious disease that lead people to think that Poe had bizarre health problems as well as mental problems. The death of Roderick's sister and accidental alive burial under the floorboards appeared to be very fishy. Readers wondered if Poe had something to hide. The noise that came from the house that Roderick and the narrator heard was Madeline trying to escape her live burial. She terrified them both when she arrived at the door covered in blood. Was Poe afraid of death?

Though all of this I believe he did portray his personal life in his writings. He had a very hard upbringing and had a lot of misfortune later in his life. A lot of his writing like previously stated was very creepy and had a lot of death in them. The vents that took place in his life were very closely related to his stories and would lead us to believe that it was almost in direct correlation to each other.