What is emerson speaking of when he mentions consistency, and why does he berate it as "the hobgoblin of little minds"?

The best answer for this question would be:

That Emerson in the essay “Self-Reliance” truly believed in individualism. He wanted his readers to know that trusting in oneself can go a long way, than blindly following someone’s idea that you don’t actually appreciate. It is important to be misunderstood along the way, because it creates countless of opportunities.

she swerves to avoid the turtle.