Too often in this life, we are suffocated by society and outside influencers. There’s a quote from Albert Einstein that stands by such a situation, it reads, “Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.

The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.” If you read this quote a time or two, you can see the deeper meaning behind Einstein's words. He is describing society as a whole, and his words still reign true today.

It is obvious that those with "great spirits" are often put down and outcasted by the "mediocre minds" of the world.

Personally, I have experienced the same treatment often throughout my life. I was never in the "popular group" in school because I was the teacher's pet or too straight edge. Over time, I found peace and happiness with this, because I knew I was being true to myself. However, I still encounter violent oppositions from those who "bow blindly to conventional prejudices". It's important, especially in today's society, that we learn to embrace being a great spirit.

We have become so obsessed and accustomed to the everyday rituals of the 21st century. Technology, internet trends, viral videos, and being caught up on the "in-culture" has become the most important aspects of our daily lives. Recently, I've read and analyzed a lot of Romantic poetry, including works of William Wordsworth, Thomas Gray, Robert Burns, and Samuel T. Coleridge.

These great writers were obsessed with the natural world, rejected humanity's greed and ignorance, and embraced imagination and supernatural occurrences. For example, in Wordsworth's poem, "The World Is Too Much With Us", he writes,

"...we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!...

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. "

From these lines, we can clearly see that even during the 1800s, humanity was indulging in materialism and forgetting our natural roots. There are so many great spirits in this world that fall to materialism and bow blindly to the trends of society.

We must find clarity in our everyday lives.

Whether it's a few minutes spent in the quiet, reflecting on the day or enjoying nature as the season changes and it gets warmer, we must take a break from the business and stress of our lives. Technology has become the spine of society, for now without it, we would simply die off. With that being said, we can still turn off the phones and laptops and tablets for a spell and simply enjoy being.

As Oscar Wilde once wrote, "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." So, do not just exist. Go and explore and dwell in this wonderful life we have. Be the great spirit you're meant to be and express your opinions honestly and courageously. There's so much more to this life than what's on the screen in front of our faces...