Passage (Ralph Waldo Emerson, *Self-Reliance*, 1841): "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark." In the phrase *advancing on Chaos and the Dark*, what is Emerson recommending?
ARetreating from public life into private contemplation.
BAvoiding political revolutions altogether.
CStudying ancient history.
DEngaging boldly with disorder and obscurity as guides and benefactors of one's age.
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Engaging boldly with disorder and obscurity as guides and benefactors of one's age.
*Advancing on* signals **engagement**, not retreat. *Chaos and the Dark* are obstacles to be moved against, not avoided.
The full clause names the right posture: *guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark* — i.e., active, leading roles.
- **A** is the *opposite* of Emerson's stance.
- **C** misreads the *revolution* image; Emerson's complaint is *fleeing before* it.
- **D** introduces an unrelated activity.
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