Ralph Waldo Emerson

The miracles of genius always rest on profound convictions which refuse to be analyzed.

Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart.

As soon as beauty is sought not from religion and love, but for pleasure, it degrades the seeker.

Do what we can, summer will have its flies.

A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his companions by every word. Every opinion reacts on him who utters it. It is a threadball thrown at a mark, but the other end remains on the thrower.

Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended.

A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.

We must not inquire too curiously into motives… They are apt to become feeble in the utterance: the aroma is mixed with the grosser air. We must keep the germinating grain away from the light.

We all have our challenges, issues, things that we’re working through and insecurity is there because nobody is perfect no matter who you are. It’s that imperfection that makes you so dope.

My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity.

We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all.

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most. On Other Peoples Expectations: The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor; he took my measurement anew every time he saw me, while all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.

Studies perfect nature and are perfected still by experience.

There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy’s life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.

We cannot well do without our sins; they are the highway of our virtue.

As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.

To be a man’s own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody’s.

The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.

By his father he is English, by his mother he is Americanto my mind the blend which makes the perfect man.

All the great ages have been ages of belief.

You. Not wanting me. Was the beginning of me wanting myself. Thank you.