Ralph Waldo Emerson

The studious class are their own victims: they are thin and pale, their feet are cold, their heads are hot, the night is without sleep, the day a fear of interruption –pallor, squalor, hunger, and egotism.

Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries, when they wrote these books. Hence, instead of Man Thinking, we have the book-worm.

Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands. By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote.

The betrothed and accepted lover has lost the wildest charms of his maiden by her acceptance. She was heaven while he pursued her, but she cannot be heaven if she stoops to one such as he!

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

Half a man’s wisdom goes with his courage.

If in doubt, don’t. If still in doubt, do what’s right.

I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.

I don’t like needing anyone for anything.

Our deeds still travel with us from afar, and what we have been makes us what we are.

Prudence operates on life in the same manner as rule of composition; it produces vigilance rather than elevation; rather prevents loss than procures advantage; and often miscarriages, but seldom reaches either power or honor.

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

Sir, he throws away his money without thought and without merit. I do not call a tree generous that sheds its fruit at every breeze.

Every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side.

Whenever you are sincerely pleased you are nourished.

A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.

There are no have-to’s, just choices.

I think there’s a great beauty to having problems. That’s one of the ways we learn.

Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. You have only to persevere to save yourselves.

Just do what works for you, because there will always be someone who think diffenrently…

We are free to yield to truth.