Ralph Waldo Emerson

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.

The fatal trait of the times is the divorce between religion and morality.

In every society some men are born to rule, and some to advise.

America is another name for opportunity.

We are as much informed of a writer’s genius by what he selects as by what he originates.

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.

Of all God’s creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.

Children sweeten labours, but they make misfortunes more bitter.

But men must know, that in this theatre of man’s life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on.

The results of life are uncalculated and uncalculable. The years teach much which the days never know. The persons who compose our company, converse, and come and go, and design and execute many things, and somewhat comes of it all, but an unlooked for result. The individual is always mistaken. He designed many things, and drew in other persons as coadjutors, quarrelled with some or all, blundered much, and something is done; all are a little advanced, but the individual is always mistaken. It turns out somewhat new, and very unlike what he promised himself.

That devilish Iron Horse, whose ear-rending neigh is heard throughout the town, has muddied the Boiling Spring with his foot, and he it is that has browsed off all the woods on Walden shore, that Trojan horse, with a thousand men in his belly, introduced by mercenary Greeks! Where is the country’s champion, the Moore of Moore Hall, to meet him at the Deep Cut and thrust an avenging lance between the ribs of the bloated pest?

By indignities men come to dignities.

Big doors swing on little hinges.

The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.

Nothing is ever done in this world until men are prepared to kill one another if it is not done.

If it matters, it will hurt like knives or wrap and lift you in the most immeasurable joy. Or both. One thing is certain, you will feel intensely alive.

Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.

And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it.

I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that i am sorry for him and wish to lighten his load by all means possible….except by getting off his back.

It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.

The moment we indulge our affections, the earth is metamorphosed, there is no winter and no night; all tragedies, all ennui s, vanish, all duties even.