Can someone help me with this aphorism by emerson..?

Question

i am having trouble understanding exactly what this is saying and i have to write about it and relate it to something that has to do with life....
"nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind"
or this other one
"for noncomformity the world whips you with its displeasure"

Answer 1

You are??
"nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind":
First you have to know what integrity is ... non-conformity but knowing what your own mind believes is important; knowing for sure what you believe and then standing by that no matter what. Walking the talk. The only thing that matters, in other words, is being true to your own beliefs and having integrity. Otherwise, what do you leave behind when you die, and what can you truly say you stand up for?

"for nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure":
Non-conformity is not popular with the Establishment, those who want your mind, your money or your heart (or in the case of the military, your life). Non-conformity will make you stand out, and can be dangerous; it can also be a light in the darkness and a map for others to follow. It means you have used thought and considered your values when making a decision.

Neither of these are to be taken lightly. Integrity is, as Emerson says, sacred. So be certain of your values before making a stand, and make a stand only once you are sure of your values and that you are willing to suffer for them.

Answer 2

"for noncomformity the world whips you with its displeasure"
The world, societies, families, schools, churches, countries all want you to conformin some way. Think of the way a person conforms in each of the above ways. When you don't do what others want then you are basically whipped with displeasure. What happens to someone who does no pay taxes or do their chores or refuse to be any particular religion or what about people who don't want to be religious? People who fight for different type of freedoms are "whipped" by the world. Let your mind think about what each word means to really expand your thinking. In a nutshell, this says "do what everyone else wants or else suffer the consequences".

Answer 3

One way to start is by looking up the meanings of the words in the dictionary. In your first example, one definition for "sacred" is set apart and holy, and one definition for "integrity" is sound and ethical. Using those definitions, one interpretation of that statement is, 'in the end, you and you alone are responsible for determining your own reality.' The second statement is easier to to understand and we see examples of it every day: our society expects you to conform to a certain standard and when you don't you are punished in many subtle and not so subtle ways. For example, our society allows people only a certain variation in weight. People ridicule people who weigh too much. People also ridicule people with other characteristics that fall outside so-called norms; for example, if people have large noses, or don't wear fashionable clothes, or don't make enough money, they are ridiculed. In the statement "whips you with its displeasure" substitute the word "ridicule" and you can see examples every day.

Answer 4

The first one is just saying that ultimately the most important, sacred thing is your own integrity. The second is about how the world is repelled by nonconformity and punishes it; if you are a nonconformist, you are going to have a difficult life in this world.

Answer 5

The first one means you should follow your own convictions; next one means if you don't follow the rules of government and society, you will be punished. Both are true.