Ralph Waldo Emerson

Slavery it is that makes slavery; freedom, freedom. The slavery of women happened when the men were slaves of kings.

A great man stands on God. A small man on a great man.

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

Every violation of truth is not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but is a stab at the health of human society.

Sunday is the core of our civilization, dedicated to thought and reverence.

A sect or party is an incognito devised to save man from the vexation of thinking.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

The only reward of virtue is virtue the only way to have a friend is to be one.

Oftentimes, it’s the way we react to change that is the thing that determines the overall experience.

Might, could, would – they are contemptible auxiliaries.

People who can’t be witty exert themselves to be devout and affectionate.

The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out, the conservative adopts them.

Women tell men things that they are not likely to find out for themselves.

A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; …they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; …those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It comes at last-the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them-and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence, …a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.

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.

To be mature you have to realize what you value most… Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one’s own values is a tragic waste. You have missed the whole point of what life is for.

Clever tyrants are never punished.

What is Man? Man is a noisome bacillus whom Our Heavenly Father created because he was disappointed in the monkey.

I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.

There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.

A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.