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The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.

Nike advertisement, 1991 (often credited to Emerson)

Philosophy

The story behind the card

This line was written for a Nike advertising campaign in 1991 by the copywriters Janet Champ and Charlotte Moore at the agency Wieden+Kennedy. By 2011 it was circulating online under the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), the American essayist, although it appears nowhere in his essays, journals or lectures. It is easy to see why his name stuck: his essay ‘Self-Reliance’ (1841) urges readers to trust their own judgement over custom, and contains the real line ‘Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.’

Türkçe oku
Kaderinde olan tek kişi, olmaya karar verdiğin kişidir.
Nike reklamı, 1991 (genellikle Emerson'a atfedilir)

Bu cümle 1991'de bir Nike reklam kampanyası için yazıldı; metin yazarları Wieden+Kennedy ajansından Janet Champ ve Charlotte Moore'du. 2011'e gelindiğinde internette Amerikalı denemeci Ralph Waldo Emerson'ın (1803–1882) sözü olarak dolaşıyordu, oysa Emerson'ın denemelerinde, günlüklerinde ya da konferanslarında geçmez. Sözün neden onun adıyla anıldığı anlaşılır: “Kendine Güven” (1841) adlı denemesi okuru geleneklerden çok kendi yargısına güvenmeye çağırır ve şu gerçek cümleyi içerir: “Kendine güven: Her yürek o demir telle titreşir.”

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Ralph Waldo Emerson
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