Man must have some recognized stake in society and affairs to knit him lovingly to his kind, or he is wont to revenge himself for wrongs real or imagined. Amos Bronson Alcott More Quotes by Amos Bronson Alcott More Quotes From Amos Bronson Alcott Nor do we accept, as genuine the person not characterized by this blushing bashfulness, this youthfulness of heart, this sensibility to the sentiment of suavity and self-respect. Modesty is bred of self-reverence. Fine manners are the mantle of fair minds. None are truly great without this ornament. Amos Bronson Alcott self mind heart Life is one, religion one, creeds are many and diverse. Amos Bronson Alcott diverse creeds life-is Hold fast, therefore, O circular philosopher, to thy centre, and drive the globe along its orbit by the momentum of thy thought. Amos Bronson Alcott orbit momentum philosophy Love is the key to felicity, nor is there a heaven to any who love not. We enter Paradise through its gates only. Amos Bronson Alcott keys love heaven Would Shakespeare and Raleigh have done their best, would that galaxy have shone so bright in the heavens had there been no Elizabeth on the throne? Amos Bronson Alcott thrones done heaven Truth is inclusive of all the virtues, is older than sects and schools, and, like charity, more ancient than mankind. Amos Bronson Alcott charity truth school The fable runs that the gods mix our pains and pleasure in one cup, and thus mingle for us the adulterate immortality which we alone are permitted here to enjoy. Voluptuous raptures, could we prolong these at pleasure, would dissipate and dissolve us. A sip is the most that mortals are permitted from any goblet of delight. Amos Bronson Alcott delight pain running Memory marks the horizon of our consciousness, imagination its zenith. Amos Bronson Alcott horizon imagination memories The passions refuse to be organized on a basis of their own; hostile to personal freedom and one another, they rush precipitately into anarchy and mob rule. Amos Bronson Alcott mob-rule anarchy passion Debate is angular, conversation circular and radiant of the underlying unity. Amos Bronson Alcott debate unity conversation Egotists cannot converse, they talk to themselves only. Amos Bronson Alcott converses conversation Good discourse sinks differences and seeks agreements. Amos Bronson Alcott differences agreement conversation A candid spirit is mightier than the most persistent dogmatism. Amos Bronson Alcott dogmatism candid spirit A happy childhood is the pledge of a ripe manhood. Amos Bronson Alcott ripe pledge childhood An author who sets his reader on sounding the depths of his own thoughts serves him best. Amos Bronson Alcott depth reader Children are illuminated text-books, breviaries of doctrine, living bodies of divinity, open always and inviting their elders to peruse the characters inscribed on the lovely leaves. Amos Bronson Alcott character book children A state, a community, caring first for all its children, providing amply for their spiritual as for their temporal well-being, has organized the primitive Eden. Amos Bronson Alcott caring spiritual children Science has grown frightfully audacious in these days -- swift-footed, ponderous, careering over her iron ways with unslacking pace. This rampant dragon, on which I am mounted, see how he bends his once stiff neck to his rider, champing his checked bit and pawing the dust, impatient to leap around the globe. Genius is prescient, foresees its own might. Man is striving through these iron-ribbed, steam-sped hippogriffs, to recover his lost ubiquity and omnipotence, and threatens soon to grasp in his ample palm, and fix with flaming eye-ball, the elemental forces! Amos Bronson Alcott dragons eye men Every dogma embodies some shade of truth to give it seeming currency. Amos Bronson Alcott dogma shade giving The books that charmed us in youth recall the delight ever afterwards; we are hardly persuaded there are any like them, any deserving our equal affections. Amos Bronson Alcott delight youth book
