We are NATURE

Emerson was a man who did not worry about what others possibly thought about him. He did not write for the sole purpose of obtaining an opinion or a critisism from others about his work. He wrote for the simple pleasure of writing and himself. He welcomed anyone who enjoyed reading his writing and he welcomed those who did not. I feel that his contemporaries were so dedicated to Emerson that they would jump at the chance and experience exactly what he did in the wilderness just to feel as he did. I think that his followers would go and isolate themselves in the woods and become one with nature to see if Emerson was on to something. I think only then would they make an opinion about this passage, otherwise I do not think anyone would question or disagree with Emerson if they did not experience nature for themselves as he did.
I actually related to everything Emerson said about nature in his passage. I am a wilderness person. I love the beauty and the peace that being out in the woods brings. I feel that what he is saying about society is that when we are alone in the wilderness and away from society and societal means we are nothing compared to the vastness of nature. We rely on what nature provides for us. Nature does not care how much money we have, what our title or status in society is, what car we drive, or where we live. We are stripped of everything when we enter the depth of the wilderness. We become respectful of everything and everyone around us. We become at peace with ourselves and realize that we are only a tiny part of this universe. We become one with nature and one with ourselves. We, as mankind, need to answer to nature, and only the spiritual, respectful, knowledgeable, and loving ones will survive. Society is a preditorial place and if we step out of it for a while and see the beauty and greatness that exists outside of our walls, then we will truly understand what it means to survive.