The most active lives have so much routine as to preclude progress almost equally with the most inactive. Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes From Ralph Waldo Emerson Nature is no spendthrift, but takes the shortest way to her ends. Ralph Waldo Emerson environment nature way We can see well into the past; we can guess shrewdly into the future, but that which is rolled up and muffled in impenetrable folds is today. Ralph Waldo Emerson future optimism past Is there a difference? Yes. We are in harmony with nature, but never at peace. Ralph Waldo Emerson harmony differences peace The wise man always throws himself on the side of his assailants. It is more his interest than it is theirs to find his weak point. Ralph Waldo Emerson weak-points wise men Conservatism, ever more timorous and narrow, disgusts the children, and drives them for a mouthful of fresh air into radicalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson radicalism air children It is not the irregular hours or irregular diet that makes the romantic life. Ralph Waldo Emerson romantic-life hours diets Every ship is a romantic object, except that we sail in. Ralph Waldo Emerson sail ships romance The sanity of society is a balance of a thousand insanity's. Ralph Waldo Emerson balance psychological insanity Every man is an infinitely repelling orb, and holds his individual being on that condition. Ralph Waldo Emerson orbs psychological men An original sentence, a step forward, is worth more than all the censures. Ralph Waldo Emerson progress evolution steps If you have a nation of men who have risen to that height of moral cultivation that they will not declare war or carry arms, for they have not so much madness left in their brains, you have a nation of lovers, of benefactors, of true, great, and able men. Ralph Waldo Emerson brain men war Power educates the potentate. Ralph Waldo Emerson educate power There are men who, by their sympathetic attractions, carry nations with them, and lead the activity of the human race. Ralph Waldo Emerson politics race men The spirit of our American radicalism is destructive and aimless; it is not loving; it has no ulterior and divine ends; but is destructive only out of hatred and selfishness. Ralph Waldo Emerson radicalism selfishness hatred The philosophy of waiting is sustained by all the oracles of the universe. Ralph Waldo Emerson oracles waiting philosophy The hearing ear is always found close to the speaking tongue. Ralph Waldo Emerson hearing speech listening Among provocative, the next best thing to good preaching is bad preaching. Ralph Waldo Emerson provocative next speech Wit makes its own welcome, and levels all distinctions. No dignity, no learning, no force of character, can make any stand against good wit. Ralph Waldo Emerson welcome levels character Women see better than men. Men see lazily, if they do not expect to act. Women see quite without any wish to act. Ralph Waldo Emerson women wish men He, who loves the bristle of bayonets, only sees in their glitter what beforehand he feels in his hand. Ralph Waldo Emerson bayonets war hands
