Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best efforts of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence.

Heroism feels and never reasons, and therefore is always right.

To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius.

Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses. Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled. I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

The arts and inventions of each period are only its costume, and do not invigorate men.

Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good and brave men, or they are no better than dreams.

Big doors swing on little hinges.

Half the vices which the world condemns most loudly have seeds of good in them and require moderated use rather than total abstinence.

If you are good, life is good.

Enthusiasm is the leaping lightning, not to be measured by the horse-power of the understanding.

The pest of society are the egotist, they are dull and bright, sacred and profane, course and fine. It is a disease that like the flu falls on all constitutions.

We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.

Do what you know and perception is converted into character.

People sleep, and when they die they wake.

Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.

I mean why should somebody go steal and break the law to get all they can when there’s always some law where you can be legal and get it all anyway!

If God wants us to do a thing, he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.

The soul’s emphasis is always right.

Human beings must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.

I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare.

Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.