"It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
We crave solitude but love companionship. It is the cruel paradox of the human experience.
RELATED IDEAS
- Thinking independently: The ability to think autonomously goes hand in hand with trusting your own instinct.
- Embracing your individuality.
- Striving towards your own goals, bravely.
It’s important to remember that self-reliance is not about cutting yourself off from everybody.
- Add more value: identify activities that are valuable to us or we can remove activities that reduce value.
- Change our thinking: Perhaps our life already has sources of value, but we just aren’t looking at things in the right way.
Many CEOs have unusual preferences and personal habits. Whether they’re motivated by productivity, wellbeing, or organization, these quirks seem integral to their success.
But Nikola Tesla takes the cake when it comes to eccentricities. He had a strong aesthetic sensibility, including an aversion to pearls (and any woman wearing them), and insisted on dressing to impress. He wore white gloves to dinner every night and prided himself on his dapper attire.