Question

Explain the aphorism "envy is ignorance", from “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Answer 1

Answer:

The meaning of "envy is ignorance", from “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson means that an individual who is envious prevents his own personal development. Due to envying others, the person becomes ignorant of his own potentials and wishes to be like the other person he is envying. So, this means that the individual that is envious of another person is ignorant of his own potentials. Emerson rebuked and refuted the idea that man wanted to conform to his envy as he repeated the phrase, "trust thyself,".

Explanation:

In "Self-Reliance", Emerson reveals that what is genius is to believe what is actually true for you in your heart is actually true for all men.  Emerson posits that every individual is made by God is unique with his/her own work to perform. So, trusting one's self is genius and is like fulfilling God's wishes.  

For Emerson, he believes that the importance an individual attach to himself is paramount. What actually matters is the integrity of one's mind and not imitation or not envy.