Ralph Waldo Emerson

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.

Beauty rests on necessities.

The death of a dear friend, wife, brother, lover, which seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life, terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed, breaks up a wonted occupation, or a household, or style of living, and allows the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character.

Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.

Do that which is assigned to you and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.

Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character.

Society is a hospital of incurables.

All the reasonings of men are not worth one sentiment of women.

Lying has a kind of respect and reverence with it. We pay a person the compliment of acknowledging his superiority whenever we lie to him.

Every person is a God in embryo. Its only desire is to be born.

Today is Trinity Sunday. Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valor, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.

Wisdom has its root in goodness, not goodness its root in wisdom.

There is no sincerer love than the love of food.

The joy in life is to be used for a purpose. I want to be used up when I die.

One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. No man has learned anything rightly, until he knows that every day is Doomsday.

The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine.

Haven’t you learned yet that I put something more than whisky into my speeches.

We are prisoners of ideas.

Of all debts men are least willing to pay the taxes. What a satire is this on government! Everywhere they think they get their moneys worth, except for these.

We do not learn by inference and deduction and the application of mathematics to philosophy, but by direct intercourse and sympathy.

It is not he who gains the exact point in dispute who scores most in controversy – but he who has shown the better temper.