Emerson writes about how people should express their thoughts before it is too late, before someone expresses them to their place. This is still relevant today. Often a person will have a good answer to a question or a good idea, but won't speak up, then realize they should have when someone else speaks up with the same thought and will be entitled to a discussion. applause for a great answer or idea. I have already experienced this myself. One day my teacher asked the class a question and in my head I answered it, but I didn't want to speak because I thought it wasn't a good answer. Moments later another student responded with the exact same answer I had in mind and the professor replied "that's right" and the whole time I was thinking "Wow, I should have spoken up" . This is one of many examples of how Emerson's idea of ​​self-confidence is still relevant today. People, myself included, should start having more confidence in themselves and not worry about what others might do.