Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every man has his own vocation, talent is the call.

The surest poison is time.

The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic.

A man is usually more careful of his money than he is of his principles.

Do what you know and perception is converted into character.

Out of Plato come all things that are still written and debated about among men of thought.

The dice of God are always loaded.

If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.

The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.

To have in general but little feeling, seems to be the only security against feeling too much on any particular occasion.

Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it: it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.

When you’ve got them by their wallets, their hearts and minds will follow.

Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.

How hard you work matters more than how much you make.

Quotation is the highest compliment you can pay to an author.

It is the false shame of fools to try to conceal wounds that have not healed.

I was exceedingly delighted with the waltz, and also with the polka. These differ in name, but there the difference ceases

I hate this shallow Americanism which hopes to get rich by credit, to get knowledge by raps on midnight tables, to learn the economy of the mind by phrenology, or skill without study, or mastery without apprenticeship.

None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.