THE HOBGOBLIN OF LITTLE MINDS (250)

As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his transcendentalist essay “Self-Reliance”, humans are their most foolish when they deny themselves the opportunity to spiritually and intellectually grow. He writes, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” His point: we are better people when actively pursuing truth, not sedentary in our thinking.

For this blog post I want you reflecting on your personal evolution as a thinker. In your response, make sure to share an experience that demonstrates either change or stasis in your feeling or thinking.

Consider the following questions to get you started:

• Where in your life as a thinker have you changed or not changed? (Stay away from “Santa anecdotes”!)
• Do you feel a willingness or an unwillingness to try on new ideas? Why/Why not?
• Are you comfortable being spiritually or intellectually inconsistent? Or do you feel the need for a set and consistent way of thinking?
• Do you feel a pull towards mainstream or fringe ideas?