Ralph Waldo Emerson

We live by our imagination, our admirations, and our sentiments.

The angels are so enamoured of the language that is spoken in heaven, that they will not distort their lips with the hissing and unmusical dialects of men, but speak their own, whether there be any who understand it or not.

Columbus discovered no isle or key so lonely as himself.

Beauty rests on necessities.

Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries, when they wrote these books. Hence, instead of Man Thinking, we have the book-worm.

Our chief want in life is somebody who shall make us do what we can.

Harold, like the rest of us, had many impressions which saved him the trouble of distinct ideas.

Avoid inquisitive persons, for they are sure to be gossips, their ears are open to hear, but they will not keep what is entrusted to them.

Sobriety, severity, and self-respect are the foundations of all true sociality.

I’ve learned that from my husband, that sort of, you know, ability to not get too high or too low with changes and bumps in the road.

We do what we must, and call it by the best names.

See, I think you live on earth a certain number of times until you finish what it is that you were meant to do here. And then you go on. I don’t think I’ll be back here. I think I’m done.

It was wonderful to find America, but it would have been more wonderful to miss it.

According to this law [the law of Dharma], you have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing it. There is something that you can do better than anyone else in the whole world–and for every unique talent and unique expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expression of your talent, that is the spark that creates affluence. Expressing your talents to fulfill needs creates unlimited wealth and abundance.

Repose and cheerfulness are the badge of the gentleman – repose in energy.

Nature and books belong to the eyes that see them.

Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.

As men’s prayers are a disease of the will, so are their creeds a disease of the intellect.

I was born upon thy bank, river, my blood flows in thy stream, and thou meanderest forever. At the bottom of my dream.

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.

Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world.