Ralph Waldo Emerson

The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers.

We are wiser than we know.

Some thoughts always find us young, and keep us so. Such a thought is the love of the universal and eternal beauty.

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think aloud.

We estimate the wisdom of nations by seeing what they did with their surplus capital.

The two parties which divide the state, the party of Conservatism and that of Innovation, are very old, and have disputed the possession of the world ever since it was made.

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.

A word once uttered can never be recalled.

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

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

No two men can be half an hour together but one shall acquire an evident superiority over the other.

Those who cannot tell what they desire or expect, still sigh and struggle with indefinite thoughts and vast wishes.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.

What your heart thinks is great, is great. The soul’s emphasis is always right.

Be confident, not certain

A friend is one who incessantly pays us the compliment of expecting from us all the virtues, and who can appreciate them in us. The friend asks no return but that his friend will religiously accept and wear and not disgrace his apotheosis of him. They cherish each other’s hopes. They are kind to each other’s dreams.

If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.

What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.

Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.

The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.