The meaning of the quotation from paragraph 5 of the excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance is that people should avoid following the crowd and be themselves.
In his Self-Reliance, Emerson:
- Criticizes conformity
- Notes that a man is not a man if he does not follow his conscience to do what is right
- Claims that individuals should not follow societal norms and practices just because they want to conform.
Thus, Emerson declares that conformity stifles initiative, innovation, and creativity.
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