April 5, 2025
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen, and philosophers and divines. With consistency, a great soul has simply nothing to do.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance” 1841
As we grow older, we get set into our patterns of life. Consistency can help direct us through the variations of each day by keeping us focused on the everyday things that we must do. There is the coffee that needs to be made, animals that need tending, lunches that need to be packed, laundry to fold. We know the routine, and it can seem at times that we can do these things in remote control. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but consistency can also be a hobgoblin as Emerson once wrote.
It is important to note that the author here is referring to a foolish consistency, and that is what makes all the difference. When I taught Emerson to students, we often pondered over the idea of what a hobgoblin is. It seems that a hobgoblin is a kind of creature that exists only in the imagination. It can take on many different shapes and sizes. It can be either friendly or mischievous, depending on the particular branch of folklore you study. Emerson imagined it as a devious little creature that inhabits the mind and addles the brain, so not exactly the friendly type for humanity. If a person is unable to think clearly and thus becomes confused, then yes, that would be a statesman’s dream.
At the time, he was encouraging people to become more independent in their thinking and to not blindly follow the thinking of others. He thought that it was a good thing to change your mind when necessary because that is what makes a great soul. He encouraged his readers to “Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradicts everything you said today.” He wanted people to be willing to express their convictions and to be strong enough to change those opinions when different facts proved them no longer valid. It takes character to admit that one is wrong. Emerson called it the markings of a great soul. I call that growth.
His essay “Self-Reliance” provided so many lessons for the people of the 1840’s, and it remains one for today. That is what I find most valuable about great thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau and why I often go back to their writings for wisdom. It is said that there is nothing new under the sun and thus they faced many of the same issues that we face today. They had their hobgoblins then as have our ours today, though perhaps in different guises. Hobgoblins have infected the minds of so many here in our country, myself included. I am confused and addled. What a state to be in.
We know that our democracy is in danger, but we don’t know how to help it. We write letters, make phone calls, send donations, attend protests, and post about it. Our minds churn in circles as we wring our hands in disbelief at the rapid-fire fall of the very things that we cherish most about our country. Sadly, I think this is all part of the plan to keep the people dazed and confused. We wake up to the news of the daily wreckage of our American society, and we watch the ripple effects around the world. This has become our new status quo. We cannot let the hobgoblins take up permanent residency in our minds. We must each do that one small thing to make a change. Together, we are stronger than we know.
