Transcendentalism is a philosophy based on the belief that "the most fundamental truths about life and death can be reached only by going beyond the world of the senses." According to the transcendentalist beliefs, you have to be connected with the things around you much more than your own senses. A true transcendentalist does not believe in any personal God, but believed that God was in all living things. The writers Emerson and Thoreau were very well known transcendentalists, and made their beliefs renowned in their works "Nature," "Self-Reliance," and "Walden." Transcendentalism can be broken down into three important characteristics. It can be described as a love for nature, a yearning and understanding for personal growth, and a value for contentment and simplicity.

Nature plays a large role in the transcendentalist belief and philosophy itself. A transcendentalist would argue that if one were to spend lots of time...