Ralph Waldo Emerson
approach to life and appearances

The following is a description of Waldo's basic stance toward life, the way others see him, the way Ralph Waldo Emerson comes across, the face he shows to the world. In the page about motivation you will read about the inner Ralph Waldo Emerson - his real motivation, which describes the kind of person he is at heart and where his true priorities lie. Study this page and the next one and compare them - there may be significant differences between the two, in which case "the inner Ralph Waldo Emerson" may not shine through and others may be in for so a few surprises once they get to know Waldo a little better. This page describes the disguise Emerson wears, his role in life, while the page about motivation talks about the real person beneath the disguise.

He is a natural diplomat, reasonable, tolerant, fair, always willing to listen to varying viewpoints, and prepared to see the other side of an issue. Even if he strongly disagrees with someone, Ralph Waldo Emerson will try to find points of similarity and agreement rather than emphasizing the differences. He often avoids taking an extreme or one-sided stance on anything. Waldo has a strong desire for harmonious and pleasant relationships, and revels in a spirit of cooperation, compromise, friendship, and fairness. Ralph Waldo Emerson very much wants to be liked and because of his need for approval and acceptance, Emerson is easily influenced by others' opinions, especially those expressed by the young. He so much wants to please that often Ralph Waldo Emerson will suppress his own intense or unpleasant feelings in order to avoid offending others. Sometimes Emerson's politeness is interpreted as being phony or wishy-washy.

His need to create harmony extends to his physical environment and personal appearance as well. Ralph Waldo Emerson appreciates beauty and has a natural sense of balance, symmetry, and proportion. He does everything in good taste, with a sense of style and art. From his home furnishings to his choice of clothing, everything must be aesthetically appealing, not simply functional or utilitarian.

He also feels that relationships are a form of art - one that Emerson is especially interested in and usually quite skilled at, for Waldo possesses tact and acute awareness of other people. Marriage is very significant to him and finding the right person to share his life with is extremely important. Being part of a close relationship seems natural to Ralph Waldo Emerson - he is not an independent loner. Having a partner increases his self-confidence. Ralph Waldo Emerson does have a tendency, however, to become overly dependent on his partner and perhaps not to develop a clearly defined identity outside of the relationship. Finding the balance between being himself and blending and uniting with another is a challenge for Waldo.

Others see Ralph Waldo Emerson as an agreeable, smooth, harmonious, and "nice" person. Though there may be much more to him, this is the sort of face Emerson shows to the world. He possesses personal charm and an understated, non-combative manner. His motto could be "one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar" for Ralph Waldo Emerson usually adopts a friendly, cooperative approach rather than a strong, forceful, I'm-going-to-conquer-the-world attitude.

Emerson would like to embrace the whole world and is everyone's favorite. Ralph Waldo Emerson is very impressionable, has an inner feeling for others and can easily establish relationships with everyone. He is likely to have a busy social life and also enjoys working in group activities.

His family conditions may have been a bit oppressive, adding a note of gravity to Waldo's personality. Somewhat insecure, Ralph Waldo Emerson may feel that others restrain him. He has doubts about mankind in general and a fear of failure.

Astrological factors in this Astro Profile section:

Libra Rising

Asc. Opposition Sun/N. Node

Asc. Conjunct Saturn/Neptune