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Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again, it will solve the problem of the age.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Ralph Waldo Emerson
Age: 78 †
Born: 1803
Born: May 25
Died: 1882
Died: April 27
Biographer
Diarist
Essayist
Philosopher
Poet
Writer
Boston
Massachusetts
R. W. Emerson
Waldo Emerson
Reform
Solve
Private
Shall
Opinion
Age
Problem
Every
Privacy

More quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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My life is superficial, takes no root in the deep world I ask, When shall I die, and be relieved of the responsibility of seeinga Universe which I do not use? I wish to exchange this flash-of-lightning faith for continuous daylight, this fever-glow for a benign climate.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The human heart concerns us more than the poring into microscopes, and is larger than can be measured by the pompous figures of the astronomer.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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This immediate dependence of language upon nature, this conversion of an outward phenomenon into a type of somewhat in human life,never loses its power to affect us. It is this which gives that piquancy to the conversation of a strong-natured farmer or backwoodsman, which all men relish.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Men do not believe in the power of education. We do not think we can speak to divine sentiments in man, and we do not try. We renounce all high aims.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances: it was somebody's name, or he happened to be there at right time, or it was so then, and another day it would have been otherwise. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Great conversation ... requires an absolute running of two souls into one.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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If man has good corn, or wood, or boards, or pigs to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles, or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad, hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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A life in harmony with nature, the love of truth and virtue, will purge the eyes to understanding her text.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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A man of good sense but of little faith, whose compassion seemed to lead him to church as often as he went there, said to me 'that he liked to have concerts, and fairs, and churches, and other public amusements go on.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The great poet makes us feel our own wealth, and then we think less of his compositions. His best communication to our mind is to teach us to despise all he has done.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Revolutions go not backward.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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I do not hesitate to read. all good books in translations. What is really best in any book is translatable-any real insight or broad human sentiment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Fear God, and where you go men shall think they walk in hallowed cathedrals.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and vulgar things.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Who loses a day loses life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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It is said, no man can write but one book and if a man have a defect, it is apt to leave its impression on all his performances.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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It happens to us once or twice in a lifetime to be drunk with some book which probably has some extraordinary relative power to intoxicate us and none other and having exhausted that cup of enchantment we go groping in libraries all our years afterwards in the hope of being in Paradise again.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, Nor time unmake what poets know
Ralph Waldo Emerson