September 21, 2011

“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, -- that is genius. Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everyone believes in something or another. Whether it is friendship, money or the good in humans, everybody holds something in his or her heart that they live by. Emerson’s quote describes how we should trust in what makes us unique and builds our identity. Being a genius often means always being right. By trusting in your own identity and values, you will always be true to yourself. A person’s values are compared to an iron string than every heart should play by. If not, the tune isn’t the one that you believe in and you will often regret listening to something that you don’t agree with.

I once had a friend and she was one of the best that I ever had. She would always think for others before herself and is one of the kindest and most caring people I know. So many good qualities are hard to find in one person and I should be very fortunate to have such a great friend. Yet, I decided not to listen to what I value in a friendship: trust. When my friend was the most vulnerable, I betrayed by lying to her and it tore her apart. Trust is one of her important values and my actions. Even after all of my apologizing, she still would not forgive me and we have become quite distant. By not believing and following what I hold true, I have caused pain in others and myself. Even worse is that there is no way knowing how long this pain will last and that all I can do is hope for the best.

In conclusion, your values and identity is always the right way for you to guide yourself. Neglecting your values can result in the harm to others who trusted you for the person that they thought you were based on your character.