Do you think Emerson’s notion of nonconformity is similar to today’s notion, given your observations ?

I think a lot of his ideas are still useful today. The Americanethos is still built on his ideas of individualism and freedom. Emerson emphasized the role and cultivation of the individual, whom he believed should avoid conformity and false consistency (i.e., consistency with our past actions and beliefs if they no longer fit the needs or desires of the present), and instead pursue his/her own instincts and ideas, to be self-reliant, even at the cost of being misunderstood by society.