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Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes - Page 59

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If a man fasten his attention on a single aspect of truth and apply himself to that alone for a long time, the truth becomes distorted and not itself but falsehood.

If a man fasten his attention on a single aspect of truth and apply himself to that alone for a long time, the truth becomes distorted and not itself but falsehood.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Men, Long, Attention
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2009). “The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.269, Modern Library

The most tedious of all discourses are on the subject of the Supreme Being.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Theology, Discourse, Subjects
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Alfred R. Ferguson (1965). “Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume V: 1835-1838”, p.305, Harvard University Press

It is an esoteric doctrine of society, that a little wickedness is good to make muscle; as if conscience were not good for hands and legs.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hands, Doctrine, Wickedness
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1866). “The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations”, p.335

A beautiful woman is a practical poet.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Beautiful, Women, Poet
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1983). “Essays and Lectures”, p.1107, Library of America

A woman's strength is the unresistible might of weakness.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Women, Weakness, Might
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1960). “The Journals”

War educates the senses, calls into action the will, perfects the physical constitution, brings men into such swift and close collision in critical moments that man measures man.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
War, Men, Saving Private Ryan
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.2970, Delphi Classics

War, to sane men at the present day, begins to look like an epidemic insanity, breaking out here and there like the cholera or influenza, infecting men's brains instead of their bowels.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
War, Men, Epidemics
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.2970, Delphi Classics

What is there of the divine in a load of brick? What ... in a barber shop? ... Much. All.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Work, Bricks, Divine
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2014). “The Heart of Emerson's Journals”, p.85, Courier Corporation

The life of labor does not make men, but drudges.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Work, Men, Doe
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edward Waldo Emerson, Waldo Emerson Forbes (1911). “Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1820-1872 [1876] Ed”

A poem, a sentence, causes us to see ourselves. I be, and I see my being, at the same time.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Writing, Causes, Sentences
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1960). “The Journals”

In youth, we clothe ourselves with rainbows, and go as brave as the zodiac.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Zodiac, Rainbow, Brave
Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Mikics (2012). “The Annotated Emerson”, p.423, Harvard University Press

Between cultivated minds the first interview is the best.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Mind, Interviews, Firsts
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Joel Porte (1982). “Emerson in His Journals”, p.140, Harvard University Press

Europe extends to the Alleghenies; America lies beyond.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lying, Europe, America

A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his companions by every word. Every opinion reacts on him who utters it. It is a threadball thrown at a mark, but the other end remains on the thrower

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Eye, Men, Judging
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1981). “The Portable Emerson: New Edition”, p.142, Penguin

Every person has his or her own vocation-talent is the call.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Talent, Vocation, Persons

Let us make education brave and preventive. Politics is an afterwork, a poor patching. We are always a little late... We shall one day learn to supercede politics by education... We must begin higher up, namely in Education.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Education, Science, Brave

Poetry being ... when we look from the center outward.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Writing, Looks, Poetry Is

Invention breeds invention. No sooner is the electric telegraph devised than gutta-percha, the very material it requires, is found. The aeronaut is provided with gun-cotton, the very fuel he wants for his balloon.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Science, Gun, Fuel
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.2461, Delphi Classics

[W]e pity our fathers for dying before steam and galvanism, sulphuric ether and ocean telegraphs, photograph and spectrograph arrived, as cheated out of their human estate.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Father, Ocean, Science
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1871). “Society and Solitude and Other Essays”, p.142

The machine unmakes the man. Now that the machine is so perfect, the engineer is nobody.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Men, Perfect, Machines
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1971). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude”, p.83, Harvard University Press

The horseman serves the horse, The neat-herd serves the neat, The merchant serves the purse, The eater serves his meat; 'Tis the day of the chattel, Web to weave, and corn to grind, Things are in the saddle, And ride mankind.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Horse, Meat, Corn
"Ode Inscribed toW. H. Channing" l. 50 (1847)

We are impressed and even daunted by the immense Universe to be explored. "What we know is a point to what we do not know."

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Knowledge, Science, Knows
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.1080, Delphi Classics

[on Thoreau:] For not a particle of respect had he to the opinions of any man or body of men, but homage solely to truth itself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Truth, Men, Body
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2004). “Thoreau”, p.24, The Minerva Group, Inc.

With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wall, Adventure, Consistency
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2010). “Self-Reliance, the Over-Soul, and Other Essays”, p.25, Coyote Canyon Press

Though I am weak, yet God, when prayed, Cannot withhold his conquering aid.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Conquer, Weak, Aids
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ralph H. Orth, Glen M. Johnson (1994). “The Topical Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.347, University of Missouri Press

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