Ralph Waldo Emerson Famous Quotations

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) was an American essayist, philosopher, poet, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century. His teachings directly influenced the growing New Thought movement of the mid 1800s. These famous quotes dealing with goals, achievement, and success have been attributed to him.

A man is what he thinks about all day long.
A man's growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.
Always do what you are afraid to do.
As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way.
Before we acquire great power we must acquire wisdom to use it well.
Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.
Death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold.
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.
Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.
Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.
If a man can... make a better mousetrap, the world will make a beaten path to his door.
Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.
Make yourself necessary to somebody.
No great man ever complains of want of opportunity.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.