Absolutely, Emerson values original thought much more highly than traditional wisdom. In this essay, he says, without qualification, "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist [....]. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." Thus, in order to be "a man," one must actively resist conformity to traditional wisdom, especially when one's conscience or intelligence urges it. One must, as the title of the essay implies,...
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