Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was one of America’s most famous Transcendentalist poet, essayist and philosopher during the mid-19th century.
He was a strong advocate for individualism and freedom. Some of his best known essays are “Self-Reliance” and “The American Scholar“.
Here are a collection of 23 inspiring quotes from Emerson:
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The first wealth is health.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~ 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
“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Be not the slave of your own past. Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“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 to 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 that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Even though we’ve changed and we’re all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we’ll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we’re not all still friends.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“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.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is not the length of life, but the depth.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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