What is important about the verses written by the painter is that they were original and unconventional. This first sentence thus helps capture a theme of this essay: that the self-reliant individual has a unique destiny planned for it by God that will show itself in the original and unconventional path this person follows. To be self-reliant is not so much to be self-supporting or self-sufficient or to refuse any help as it is to discern and be true to one's own call. It means rejecting such conventions as what your church denomination might call you to if these norms violate your soul. Instead, to fully find your true self, you need to examine your own conscience and your own heart. "Imitation is suicide," Emerson insists, and a person will not find true peace or contentment until he thrusts aside what the world has decided is good for him and followed his own path.
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