This quote shows a feeling of disgrace from the author, because he relates persecution with contradiction. Overall, I believe he refers to feelings of dread, and annoyance with people who assume they are being persecuted, when they aren't. He seems to have a feeling of reluctance to admit mere contradiction, and does not want to falter, and assume things are worse than they really are. He believes the assumptions are mistakes, quite awful, and vulgar, mistakes. I personally interpreted this as advice to never delude yourself with thinking your life is so terrible, and that people are out to get you. It appears disgraceful in itself to believe that.
This quote is excellent advice to anyone who feels self-pity too often. The author is trying to pre-warn and remind himself to not fall into the self despairing, tragic attitude that many people mind themselves getting into, over rather trivial 'issues'. Truly, I took away from this to think over your problems, or contradictions, and try to learn from them, not wallow in reproach.
The author, Raplh Waldo Emerson, was a famed American essayist, lecturer, and poet. The man moved through his career to get involved with philosophy of Transcendentalism, and his motivational essays and speeches.His purpose behind this quote was a reflection of disgrace to the 'first world problems' that so many people believe are the end of the world. He was encouraging people to stop reflecting on such events with reproach, or disgrace, and to instead learn from these mishaps or contradictions to make yourself stronger.
Emerson, Raplh Waldo. "Social Anxiety Quotes, Sayings for Those with Anxiety Disorders." The Quote Garden - Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.quotegarden.com/social-anxiety.html>.
