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 The Buddhist, who thanks no man, who says "Do not flatter your benefactors," but who, in his conviction that every good deed can by no possibility escape its reward, will not deceive the benefactor by pretending that he has done more than he should, is a Transcendentalist. Ralph Waldo Emerson karma buddhist buddhism The philanthropists inquire whether Transcendentalism does not mean sloth: they had as lief hear that their friend is dead, as that he is a Transcendentalist; for then is he paralyzed, and can never do anything for humanity. Ralph Waldo Emerson sloth humanity mean The boxer's ring is the enjoyment of the part of society whose animal nature alone has been developed. Ralph Waldo Emerson boxers boxing animal We fetch fire and water, run about all day among the shops and markets, and get our clothes and shoes made and mended, and are thevictims of these details, and once in a fortnight we arrive perhaps at a rational moment. Ralph Waldo Emerson shoes fire running All forms of government symbolize an immortal government, common to all dynasties and independent of numbers, perfect where two men exist, perfect where there is only one man. Ralph Waldo Emerson independent men two Housekeeping is not beautiful; it cheers and raises neither the husband, the wife, nor the child; neither the host nor the guest;it oppresses women. A house kept to the end of prudence is laborious without joy; a house kept to the end of display is impossible to all but a few women, and their success is dearly bought. Ralph Waldo Emerson cheer beautiful children The piety of the Hebrew prophets purges their grossness. The circumcision is an example of the power of poetry to raise the low and offensive. Ralph Waldo Emerson circumcision symbolism example We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions. Ralph Waldo Emerson tuition intuition teaching A man in a cave or in a camp, a nomad, will die with no more estate than the wolf or the horse leaves. Ralph Waldo Emerson horse dying men I look on Sculpture as history. I do not think the Apollo and the Jove impossible in flesh and blood. Every trait the artist recorded in stone, he had seen in life, and better than his copy. Ralph Waldo Emerson artist blood thinking The god or hero of the sculptor is always represented in a transition from that which is representable to the senses, to that which is not. Ralph Waldo Emerson sculpture transition hero A right rule for a club would be, Admit no man whose presence excludes any one topic. It requires people who are not surprised andshocked, who do and let do, and let be, who sink trifles, and know solid values, and who take a great deal for granted. Ralph Waldo Emerson would-be men people It is always a practical difficulty with clubs to regulate the laws of election so as to exclude peremptorily every social nuisance. Nobody wishes bad manners. We must have loyalty and character. Ralph Waldo Emerson loyalty law character A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school,preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always like a cat falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days and feels no shame in not "studying a profession," for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. Ralph Waldo Emerson team school fall Popularity is for dolls. Ralph Waldo Emerson popularity dolls Everything that is popular, it has been said, deserves the attention of philosophers: and this is for the obvious reason, that although it may not be of any worth in itself, yet it characterizes the people. Ralph Waldo Emerson may attention people Nobody is glad in the gladness of another, and our system is one of war, of an injurious superiority. Every child of the Saxon race is educated to wish to be first. It is our system; and a man comes to measure his greatness by the regrets, envies, and hatreds of his competitors. Ralph Waldo Emerson regret war children It is easy to carp at colleges, and the college, if he will wait for it, will have its own turn. Genius exists there also, but will not answer a call of a committee of the House of Commons. It is rare, precious, eccentric, and darkling. Ralph Waldo Emerson college waiting house Oxford is a little aristocracy in itself, numerous and dignified enough to rank with other estates in the realm; and where fame and secular promotion are to be had for study, and in a direction which has the unanimous respect of all cultivated nations. Ralph Waldo Emerson aristocracy respect oxford The university must be retrospective. The gale that gives direction to the vanes on all its towers blows out of antiquity. Ralph Waldo Emerson towers blow giving
