Popular Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet who became one of the most influential figures of the 19th century. Renowned for his transcendentalist philosophy, Emerson’s works explored the interconnectedness of nature, self-reliance, individualism, and the inherent divinity of the human spirit. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he studied at Harvard Divinity School and later embarked on a career as a lecturer, captivating audiences with his thought-provoking ideas on spirituality and the human experience. Through his extensive collection of essays and poems, Emerson challenged prevailing societal norms, advocating for intellectual independence and the exploration of the inner self. His legacy endures as a cornerstone of American literary and philosophical thought, inspiring generations to embrace the power of individual thought and the unity between humanity and the natural world.

1. When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
2. All I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen.
3. Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.
4. People do not seem to realise that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.
5. Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up.
6. Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.
7. The artists always has the masters in his eyes.
8. Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.
9. Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.
10. The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.
11. Its the not the Destination, It’s the journey.
12. Colleges hate geniuses, just as convents hate saints.
13. Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world.
14. To a dull mind all of nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light.
15. Shall I tell you the secret of the true scholar? It is this: every man I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him.
16. That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our power to do so is increased.
17. There is an optical illusion about every person we meet.
18. Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.