--- title: "7 Instant Quotes By Ralph Waldo Emerson" description: "7 Instant quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Plus more from Ralph Waldo Emerson and more Instant sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_aim_power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it_78551.png" --- > [Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it-resides-in-the-moment-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_aim_power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it_78551.png) > [The divine gift is ever the instant life, which receives and uses and creates, and can well bury the old in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-divine-gift-is-ever-the-instant-life-which-receives-and-uses-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ff/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_divine_the-divine-gift-is-ever-the-instant-life_345551.png) > [The men who carry their points do not need to inquire of their constituents what they should say, but are themselves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-men-who-carry-their-points-do-not-need-to-inquire-of-their/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_constituents_the-men-who-carry-their-points-do-not-ne_645914.png) > [The victories of character are instant, and victories for all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-victories-of-character-are-instant-and-victories-for-all/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_character_the-victories-of-character-are-instant-a_907113.png) > [Idealism sees the world in God. It beholds the whole circle of persons and things, of actions and events, of country and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/idealism-sees-the-world-in-god-it-beholds-the-whole-circle-of-persons/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_action_idealism-sees-the-world-in-god-it-behold_989142.png) > [There are twenty ways of going to a point, and one is the shortest; but set out at once on one. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-are-twenty-ways-of-going-to-a-point-and-one-is-the-shortest-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_action_there-are-twenty-ways-of-going-to-a-poin_2865666.png) > [The sweetest music is not in the oratorio, but in the human voice when it speaks from its instant life tones of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-sweetest-music-is-not-in-the-oratorio-but-in-the-human-voice-when/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_courage_the-sweetest-music-is-not-in-the-oratori_2954664.png) ## Other authors on Instant ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-then-creative-reading-as-well-as-creative-writing-when-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The order of things consents to virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-order-of-things-consents-to-virtue/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Life only avails, not the having lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/life-only-avails-not-the-having-lived/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-child-reminds-us-that-playtime-is-an-essential-part-of-our-daily/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am; therefore, I had nothing better to do than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-therefore-i-had-nothing-better-to-do-than-to-think/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instant/ralph-waldo-emerson/#itemlist", "name": "7 Instant Quotes By Ralph Waldo Emerson", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in the shooting of the gulf, in the darting to an aim.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ralph Waldo Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it-resides-in-the-moment-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_aim_power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it_78551.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_aim_power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it_78551.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_aim_power-ceases-in-the-instant-of-repose-it_78551.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Power ceases in the instant of repose; 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