Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are ashamed of our thoughts and often see them brought forth by others.

That man is idle who can do something better.

He is great who is what he is from nature, and who never reminds us of others.

All the great ages have been ages of belief.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.

It is easy to live for others, everybody does. I call on you to live for yourselves.

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

The most anxious man in a prison is the governor.

Patience and diligence, like faith, remove mountains.

No great deed is done by falterers who ask for certainty.

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.

Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.

You always do what you want to do. This is true with every act. You may say that you had to do something, or that you were forced to, but actually, whatever you do, you do by choice. Only you have the power to choose for yourself.

Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.

The god of victory is said to be one-handed, but peace gives victory on both sides.

Beware what you set your heart upon. For it shall surely be yours.

The secret of being a bore… is to tell everything.

Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.

It is one of the superstitions of the human mind to have imagined that virginity could be a virtue.

This self-love is the instrument of our preservation; it resembles the provision for the perpetuity of mankind: it is necessary, it is dear to us, it gives us pleasure, and we must conceal it.