Ralph Waldo Emerson Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes, Ralph Waldo Emerson sayings, and Ralph Waldo Emerson proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.'

Emancipation is the demand of civilization. That is a principle; everything else is an intrigue. Ralph Waldo Emerson
We boast our emancipation from many superstitions; but if we have broken any idols, it is through a transfer of idolatry. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory. Ralph Waldo Emerson
The laws of behavior yield to the energy of the individual. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Men are what their mothers made them. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it. Ralph Waldo Emerson
We find a delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body. Ralph Waldo Emerson
The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nothing astonishes people so much as common sense and plain dealing. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Society is always taken by surprise at any new example of common sense. Ralph Waldo Emerson
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Ralph Waldo Emerson
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson
We acquire the strength we have overcome. Ralph Waldo Emerson
When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our strength grows out of our weakness. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Failure is the condiment which gives success its flavor. Ralph Waldo Emerson
When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know. Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dream delivers us to dream, and there is no end to illusion. Life is like a train of moods like a string of beads, and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many-colored lenses which paint the world their own hue. . . . Ralph Waldo Emerson
Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art. Ralph Waldo Emerson
hallow men believe in luck; wise and strong men in the cause and effect. Ralph Waldo Emerson
In skating over thin ice, our safety is in our speed. Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have thought it thoroughly over / State of hermit, state of lover / We must have society / We cannot spare variety. Ralph Waldo Emerson
A man's growth is seen in the successsive choirs of his friends. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Every particular in nature, a leaf, a drop, a crystal, a moment of time is related to the whole, and partakes of the perfection of the whole. Ralph Waldo Emerson
The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. Ralph Waldo Emerson
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer. Ralph Waldo Emerson