Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

“Treat yourself as you are, and you will remain as you are. Treat yourself as you could be, and you will become what you should be.”

“Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding.”

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”

“Concentration is the secret of strength.”

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

“Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.”

“Every man I meet is in some way my superior, and in that, I can learn of him.”

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

“Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.”

“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.”

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.”

“Self-command is the main discipline.”

“A believer, a mind whose faith is consciousness, is never disturbed because other persons do not yet see the fact which he sees.”

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.”

“He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.”

“A man is what he thinks about all day long.”

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

“No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself.”

“No great man ever complains of want of opportunity.”

“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; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

“When it's darkest, men see the stars.”

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

“Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.”

“Our chief want in life, is someone who shall make us do what we can. This is the service of a friend. With him, we are easily great.”

“A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within.”

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

“The years teach much which the days never know.”

“Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear a word you're saying.”

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

“What you set your heart upon surely shall be yours.”

“Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself.”

“Make yourself necessary to somebody.”

“We gain the strength of the temptation we resist.”

“Each man has his own vocation; his talent is his call. There is one direction in which all space is open to him.”

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.”

“Self-trust is the first secret of success.”

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

“We must be our own before we can be another's.”

“Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.”

“For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.”

“Always do what you are afraid to do.”

“People only see what they are prepared to see.”

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

“We acquire the strength we overcome.”

“Hitch your wagon to a star.”

“A great man is always willing to be little.”

“Nothing external to you has any power over you.”

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

“Intention is one with cause and effect.”

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.”

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.”

“Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”

“If you learn only methods, you'll be tied to your methods, but if you learn principles you can devise your own methods.”

“There is no defeat except from within. There is really no barrier save your own inherent weakness of purpose.”

“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”

“That only which we have within can we see without. If we meet no gods, it is because we harbor none.”

“The first wealth is health.”

“Insist on yourself; never imitate.”

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you; you have to win it.”

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

“Self-trust is the essence of heroism.”

“The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom.”

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”