The true ship is the ship builder. Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes From Ralph Waldo Emerson A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Ralph Waldo Emerson self-reliance light men He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, while he who has one enemy shall meet him everywhere. Ralph Waldo Emerson inspirational friendship enemy Men are conservatives when they are least vigorous or when they are most luxurious-they are conservatives after dinner. Ralph Waldo Emerson luxury politics men Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart. Ralph Waldo Emerson victory achievement heart It requires a great deal of boldness and a great deal of caution to make a great fortune, and when you have it, it requires ten times as much skill to keep it. Ralph Waldo Emerson rothschild money skills We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end; which stands related to all things; which is the mean of many extremes. Ralph Waldo Emerson simple beauty mean In Nature, all is useful, all is beautiful Ralph Waldo Emerson beautiful Nature will not be Buddhist: she resents generalizing, and insults the philosopher in every moment with a million fresh particulars. Ralph Waldo Emerson philosopher buddhist nature Traveling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go. Ralph Waldo Emerson sadness dream home If we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. Ralph Waldo Emerson positivity lasts safe Be not the slave of your own past - plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep, and swim far. Ralph Waldo Emerson diving-deep sea past God builds his temple in the heart on the ruins of churches and religions. Ralph Waldo Emerson ruins church heart We see God face to face every hour, and know the savor of Nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson thank-you-god hours faces To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson stars writing men She shows us only surfaces, but she is million-fathoms deep. Ralph Waldo Emerson fathom surface shows Hidden away in the inner nature of the real man is the law of his life, and someday he will discover it and consciously make use of it. He will heal himself, make himself happy and prosperous, and life in an entirely different world. For he will have discovered that life is from within and not from without. Ralph Waldo Emerson real law men Colleges hate geniuses, just as convents hate saints. Ralph Waldo Emerson hate beer book Cut these words and they would bleed; they are vascular and alive. Ralph Waldo Emerson cutting alive Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good and brave men or they are no better than dreams. Ralph Waldo Emerson courage dream men Sanity is very rare; every man almost and every woman has a dash of madness. Ralph Waldo Emerson men insanity funny