Question
The necessity of solitude is deeper than we have said, and is organic. I have seen many a philosopher whose world is large enough for only one person. He affects to be a good companion; but we are still surprising his secret, that he means and needs to impose his system on all the rest. The determination of each is from all the others, like that of each tree up into free space. 'T is no wonder, when each has his whole head, our societies should be so small. Like President Tyler, our party falls from us every day, and we must ride in a sulky at last. Dear heart! Take it sadly home to thee – there is no cooperation. We begin with friendships, and all our youth is a reconnoitering and recruiting of the holy fraternity they shall combine for the salvation of men. But so the remoter stars seem a nebula of united light, yet there is no group, which a telescope will not resolve; and the dearest friends are separated by impassable gulfs. The cooperation is involuntary, and is put upon us by the Genius of Life, who reserves this as a part of his prerogative. 'T is fine for us to talk; we sit and muse and are serene and complete; but the moment we meet with any-body, each becomes a fraction...
It by no means follows that we are not fit for society, because soirees are tedious and because the soiree finds us tedious. A backwoodsman, who had been sent to the university, told me that when he heard the best-bred young men at the law-school talk together, he reckoned him-self a boor; but whenever he caught them apart, and had one to himself alone, then they were the boors and he the better man. And if we recall the rare hours when we encountered the best persons, we then found ourselves, and then first society seemed to exist. That was society, though in the transom of a brig or on the Florida Keys...
But the people are to be taken in very small doses. If solitude is proud, so is society vulgar. In society, high advantages are set down to the individual as disqualifications. We sink as easily as we rise, through sympathy. So many men whom I know are degraded by their sympathies; their native aims being high enough, but their relation all too tender to the gross people about them. Men cannot afford to live together on their merits, and they adjust themselves by their demerits, – by their love of gossip, or by sheer tolerance and animal good nature. They untune and dissipate the brave aspirant.'
In the paragraph you’ve just read, Emerson suggests that too much time spent in "society" can corrupt the individual, and individuals who are not careful can "sink" in society. Take a minute to consider what that means to you.
Write a well-formed paragraph that summarizes the central ideas from the excerpt of Emerson’s essay Society and Solitude. Your paragraph should have at least four sentences and contain key details.
It by no means follows that we are not fit for society, because soirees are tedious and because the soiree finds us tedious. A backwoodsman, who had been sent to the university, told me that when he heard the best-bred young men at the law-school talk together, he reckoned him-self a boor; but whenever he caught them apart, and had one to himself alone, then they were the boors and he the better man. And if we recall the rare hours when we encountered the best persons, we then found ourselves, and then first society seemed to exist. That was society, though in the transom of a brig or on the Florida Keys...
But the people are to be taken in very small doses. If solitude is proud, so is society vulgar. In society, high advantages are set down to the individual as disqualifications. We sink as easily as we rise, through sympathy. So many men whom I know are degraded by their sympathies; their native aims being high enough, but their relation all too tender to the gross people about them. Men cannot afford to live together on their merits, and they adjust themselves by their demerits, – by their love of gossip, or by sheer tolerance and animal good nature. They untune and dissipate the brave aspirant.'
In the paragraph you’ve just read, Emerson suggests that too much time spent in "society" can corrupt the individual, and individuals who are not careful can "sink" in society. Take a minute to consider what that means to you.
Write a well-formed paragraph that summarizes the central ideas from the excerpt of Emerson’s essay Society and Solitude. Your paragraph should have at least four sentences and contain key details.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In the excerpt from Emerson’s essay "Society and Solitude," the author argues that while solitude can nurture individual thought and character, societal interactions often dilute personal integrity and aspirations. Emerson observes that many individuals possess grand ideals, but their connections with others can lead to a degradation of their values, as they are influenced by the mediocrity of those around them. He emphasizes that true community is rare and often only found in intimate interactions, suggesting that the larger society can feel overwhelming and even corrupting. Ultimately, Emerson warns that while solitude fosters a sense of wholeness and clarity, society can impose limitations that lead individuals to compromise their true selves and ambitions.