Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our high respect for a well read person is praise enough for literature.

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

Work and thou canst escape the reward; whether the work be fine or course, planting corn or writing epics, so only it be honest work, done to thine own approbation, it shall earn a reward to the senses as well as to the thought.

Preaching is the expression of moral sentiments applied to the duties of life.

A man in debt is so far a slave.

The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast. Its fit hour of activity is night. Its actions are insane like its whole constitution. It persecutes a principle; it would whip a right; it would tar and feather justice, by inflicting fire and outrage upon the houses and persons of those who have these. It resembles the prank of boys, who run with fire-engines to put out the ruddy aurora streaming to the stars.

It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy.

Life levels all men. Death reveals the eminent.

Men know that women are an over-match for them, and therefore they choose the weakest or most ignorant. If they did not think so, they never could be afraid of women knowing as much as themselves.

He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief.

The true art of memory is the art of attention.

Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and once it has done so, he/she will have to accept that his life will be radically changed.

A good and faithful judge ever prefers the honorable to the expedient.

All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.

Everyone has the right to be stupid on occasion, but Comrade Macdonald abuses the privilege.

Nature arms each man with some faculty which enables him to do easily some feat impossible to any other.

A vow is a snare for sin.

Anger is short madness

Each thought that is welcomed and recorded is a nest egg by the side of which more will be laid.

Danger – if you meet it promptly and without flinching – you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!

People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.