Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

Considered one of the greatest orators of the mid-nineteenth century; these Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes are thought-provoking and definitely define his philosophy of life. As an American essayist, philosopher, and poet, we can learn much from his inherent wisdom.

For those of you who are interested, I've also included a short section after the quotations, which details some of the interesting facts about his life. Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

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

Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them.

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

To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.

Some books leave us free and some books make us free.

Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.

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

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

It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.

God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose.

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

People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

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

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

The only way to have a friend is to be one.

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.

What your heart thinks is great, is great. The soul's emphasis is always right.

Insist on yourself; never imitate.

I can find my biography in every fable that I read.

Man is a piece of the universe made alive.

As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

Sincerity is the highest compliment you can pay.

Great men are they who see that the spiritual is stronger than any material force.

We acquire the strength we have overcome.

Concentration is the secret of strength.

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

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.

I hope you've enjoyed reading these fabulous Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes. I'll be adding more motivating quotations from great and famous people such as this in the future. You can keep up-to-date on any new pages added by subscribing to my RSS feed using the box in the top right column.

A Brief Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography

Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25, 1803. He was the son of Ruth Haskins and the Rev. William Emerson, a Unitarian minister. He was the second of five sons who survived into adulthood, although there were eight children all together, three of whom died in childhood.

He had a large influence within the growing "New Thought movement," due to his being the founder and leader of the Transcendentalist movement during the mid-1800's.

He also ruffled a lot of feathers where religion was concerned. His religious views were often considered radical as he believed all things were divine because all things were connected to God. In fact, the Protestant community denounced him as an atheist because he "discounted Biblical miracles and proclaimed that, while Jesus was a great man, he was not God". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson)

In 1836, Emerson wrote and anonymously published an essay entitled "Nature," which expressed his philosophy of Transcendentalism. His second book, "Self-Reliance", was published in 1842.

You can see a listing of Essays and Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson at Amazon.com

Interestingly enough, Emerson's formal schooling only began in 1812 at the age of nine where he attended the Boston Latin School. He then went on to Harvard College at the tender age of 14, in October 1817.

He had a love for reading and writing and so began to keep a list of the books he had read. He also began to keep a journal of his thoughts that would eventually be called "Wide World".

Emerson lived an active and interesting life, but as he neared his seventies, he began to loose his memory and suffered from aphasia (an acquired language disorder in which there is an impairment of any language modality. This may include difficulty in producing or comprehending spoken or written language - Reference: wikipedia.org).

Grave Site of Ralph Waldo Emerson in Concord, Massachusetts

By 1879, he had ceased his public appearances because his memory loss had become embarrassing to himself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson died on April 27th, 1882 after having gone for a stroll on a wet, rainy day, even though he was sick with a cold. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and died soon after.

Emerson is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts.