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Ralph Waldo Emerson

Philosopher

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a central figure in the American Transcendentalist movement, celebrated individualism, self-reliance, and the power of nature and intuition. His quotes reflect his profound insights on personal growth, moral courage, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. Together, they offer timeless inspiration to think independently, embrace one’s potential, and live with integrity and purpose.
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Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
Why covet a knowledge of new facts? Day and night, house and garden, a few books, a few actions, serve us as well as would all trades and all spectacles. We are far from having exhausted the significance of the few symbols we use. We can come to use them yet with a terrible simplicity.
From The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
Hitch your wagon to a star.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
From The Complete Prose Works Of Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Topic: Inspirational, Philosophical
Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
As long as all that is said is said against me, I feel a certain sublime assurance of success, but as soon as honied words of praise are spoken for me, I feel as one that lies unprotected before his enemies.
From Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1820-1824
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Success
Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit, cannot be severed; for the effect already blooms in the cause, the end preexists in the means, the fruit in the seed.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Happiness
The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship
From Nature
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Happiness
Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Hope
We aim above the mark to hit the mark.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Success
I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.
From Self-Reliance and Other Essays
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
The selfish man suffers more from his selfishness than he from whom that selfishness withholds some important benefit.
From The Portable Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
Imagination is not a talent of some men, but is health of every man.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
It facilitates labor and thought so much that there is always the temptation in large schools to omit the endless task of meeting the wants of each single mind, and to govern by steam. But it is at frightful cost. Our modes of Education aim to expedite, to save labor; to do for masses what cannot be done for masses, what must be done reverently, one by one: say rather, the whole world is needed for the tuition of each pupil.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
It is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Miss Austen’s novels … seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in the wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit, or knowledge of the world. Never was life so pinched and narrow. The one problem in the mind of the writer … is marriageableness.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Relationships
Napoleon said of Massena, that he was not himself until the battle began to go against him; then, when the dead began to fall in ranks around him, awoke his powers of combination, and he put on terror and victory as a robe. So it is in rugged crises, in unweariable endurance, and in aims which put sympathy out of question, that the angel is shown.
From Nature, Addresses, and Lectures (Volume I)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
Why covet a knowledge of new facts? Day and night, house and garden, a few books, a few actions, serve us as well as would all trades and all spectacles. We are far from having exhausted the significance of the few symbols we use. We can come to use them yet with a terrible simplicity.
From The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
Hitch your wagon to a star.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
From The Complete Prose Works Of Ralph Waldo Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational, Philosophical
Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
As long as all that is said is said against me, I feel a certain sublime assurance of success, but as soon as honied words of praise are spoken for me, I feel as one that lies unprotected before his enemies.
From Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1820-1824
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Success
Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit, cannot be severed; for the effect already blooms in the cause, the end preexists in the means, the fruit in the seed.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Happiness
The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship
From Nature
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Happiness
Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Hope
We aim above the mark to hit the mark.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Success
I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.
From Self-Reliance and Other Essays
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
The selfish man suffers more from his selfishness than he from whom that selfishness withholds some important benefit.
From The Portable Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
Imagination is not a talent of some men, but is health of every man.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
It facilitates labor and thought so much that there is always the temptation in large schools to omit the endless task of meeting the wants of each single mind, and to govern by steam. But it is at frightful cost. Our modes of Education aim to expedite, to save labor; to do for masses what cannot be done for masses, what must be done reverently, one by one: say rather, the whole world is needed for the tuition of each pupil.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
It is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Miss Austen’s novels … seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in the wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit, or knowledge of the world. Never was life so pinched and narrow. The one problem in the mind of the writer … is marriageableness.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Relationships
Napoleon said of Massena, that he was not himself until the battle began to go against him; then, when the dead began to fall in ranks around him, awoke his powers of combination, and he put on terror and victory as a robe. So it is in rugged crises, in unweariable endurance, and in aims which put sympathy out of question, that the angel is shown.
From Nature, Addresses, and Lectures (Volume I)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
Why covet a knowledge of new facts? Day and night, house and garden, a few books, a few actions, serve us as well as would all trades and all spectacles. We are far from having exhausted the significance of the few symbols we use. We can come to use them yet with a terrible simplicity.
From The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
Hitch your wagon to a star.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
From The Complete Prose Works Of Ralph Waldo Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational, Philosophical
Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
As long as all that is said is said against me, I feel a certain sublime assurance of success, but as soon as honied words of praise are spoken for me, I feel as one that lies unprotected before his enemies.
From Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1820-1824
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Success
Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit, cannot be severed; for the effect already blooms in the cause, the end preexists in the means, the fruit in the seed.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Happiness
The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship
From Nature
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Happiness
Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Hope
We aim above the mark to hit the mark.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Success
I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.
From Self-Reliance and Other Essays
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
The selfish man suffers more from his selfishness than he from whom that selfishness withholds some important benefit.
From The Portable Emerson
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
Imagination is not a talent of some men, but is health of every man.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Motivational
It facilitates labor and thought so much that there is always the temptation in large schools to omit the endless task of meeting the wants of each single mind, and to govern by steam. But it is at frightful cost. Our modes of Education aim to expedite, to save labor; to do for masses what cannot be done for masses, what must be done reverently, one by one: say rather, the whole world is needed for the tuition of each pupil.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
It is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Miss Austen’s novels … seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in the wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit, or knowledge of the world. Never was life so pinched and narrow. The one problem in the mind of the writer … is marriageableness.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Relationships
Napoleon said of Massena, that he was not himself until the battle began to go against him; then, when the dead began to fall in ranks around him, awoke his powers of combination, and he put on terror and victory as a robe. So it is in rugged crises, in unweariable endurance, and in aims which put sympathy out of question, that the angel is shown.
From Nature, Addresses, and Lectures (Volume I)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
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