--- title: "Best Ralph waldo Sayings" description: "Browse 89 Ralph waldo quotes by 68 authors. Discover the best Ralph waldo sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/haseeb-qureshi-241743_compassionate_in-the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-the_2823785.jpg" --- > [“In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haseeb-qureshi/in-the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-the-purpose-of-life-is-not-to-be/) [Haseeb Qureshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haseeb-qureshi/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/haseeb-qureshi-241743_compassionate_in-the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-the_2823785.jpg) > [With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson One problem with gazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cibenko/with-the-past-i-have-nothing-to-do-nor-with-the-future-i-live-now/) [Michael Cibenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cibenko/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/michael-cibenko-89170_new-day_with-the-past-i-have-nothing-to-do-nor-w_1731020.jpg) > [“An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson, "...the Reformation, of Luther; Quakerism, of Fox; Methodism, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-institution-is-the-lengthened-shadow-of-one-man-wrote-ralph-waldo/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/482/anonymous-1_ralph-waldo_an-institution-is-the-lengthened-shadow_882684.jpg) > [“things Are of one pattern made; bird, beast, and flower, Song, picture, form, space, thought, and character, Deceive us, seeming to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-k-cowan/things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beast-and-flower-song-picture/) [Laura K. Cowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-k-cowan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/laura-k-cowan-77331_pattern_things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beas_380139.jpg) > [Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first author or transcendentalist that I connected with and resonated with. And I found that when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-ortega/ralph-waldo-emerson-was-the-first-author-or-transcendentalist-that-i/) [Jenna Ortega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-ortega/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/jenna-ortega-5985_books_ralph-waldo-emerson-was-the-first-author_1356739.jpg) > [I pretend no originality in observing that mass education was motivated in part by the perceived need to "educate them to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-pretend-no-originality-in-observing-that-mass-education-was/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/noam-chomsky-42_creativity_i-pretend-no-originality-in-observing-th_29802.jpg) > [“As Paul Hawken keenly observed, Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/as-paul-hawken-keenly-observed-ralph-waldo-emerson-once-asked-what-we/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/louie-giglio-2490_astronomy_as-paul-hawken-keenly-observed-ralph-wal_822605.png) > [“The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson came back to me: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-many/the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-came-back-to-me-to-laugh-often-and/) [Nancy Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-many/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/nancy-many-75162_intelligent-people_the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-came-ba_811753.jpg) > [“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. Any fish can swim near the surface, but it takes a great whale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-who-dive-any-fish-can-swim-near/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/herman-melville-162_dive_on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-wh_5056.jpg) ## Top authors on Ralph waldo - [Ralph Waldo Emerson 12 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ralph-waldo/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ralph-waldo/#itemlist", "name": "Ralph waldo Quotes", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. 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I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Cibenko" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cibenko/with-the-past-i-have-nothing-to-do-nor-with-the-future-i-live-now/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/michael-cibenko-89170_new-day_with-the-past-i-have-nothing-to-do-nor-w_1731020.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/michael-cibenko-89170_new-day_with-the-past-i-have-nothing-to-do-nor-w_1731020.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/michael-cibenko-89170_new-day_with-the-past-i-have-nothing-to-do-nor-w_1731020.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. 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Cowan" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-k-cowan/things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beast-and-flower-song-picture/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/laura-k-cowan-77331_pattern_things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beas_380139.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/laura-k-cowan-77331_pattern_things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beas_380139.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/laura-k-cowan-77331_pattern_things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beas_380139.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“things Are of one pattern made; bird, beast, and flower, Song, picture, form, space, thought, and character…” — Laura K. Cowan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first author or transcendentalist that I connected with and resonated with. And I found that when I was in New Zealand. I have multiple books of his own personal essays.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jenna Ortega" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-ortega/ralph-waldo-emerson-was-the-first-author-or-transcendentalist-that-i/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/jenna-ortega-5985_books_ralph-waldo-emerson-was-the-first-author_1356739.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/jenna-ortega-5985_books_ralph-waldo-emerson-was-the-first-author_1356739.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/jenna-ortega-5985_books_ralph-waldo-emerson-was-the-first-author_1356739.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first author or transcendentalist that I connected with and resonated with. 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No one would sleep that night, of course.… We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television.1”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louie Giglio" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/as-paul-hawken-keenly-observed-ralph-waldo-emerson-once-asked-what-we/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/louie-giglio-2490_astronomy_as-paul-hawken-keenly-observed-ralph-wal_822605.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/louie-giglio-2490_astronomy_as-paul-hawken-keenly-observed-ralph-wal_822605.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/louie-giglio-2490_astronomy_as-paul-hawken-keenly-observed-ralph-wal_822605.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As Paul Hawken keenly observed, Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out…” — Louie Giglio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson came back to me: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children . . . To find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden path . . . to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded! It became crystal clear then”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Many" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-many/the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-came-back-to-me-to-laugh-often-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/nancy-many-75162_intelligent-people_the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-came-ba_811753.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/nancy-many-75162_intelligent-people_the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-came-ba_811753.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/nancy-many-75162_intelligent-people_the-words-of-ralph-waldo-emerson-came-ba_811753.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson came back to me: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent…” — Nancy Many", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. Any fish can swim near the surface, but it takes a great whale to go down stairs five miles or more; and if he don't attain the bottom, why all the lead in Galena can't fashion the plummet that will. I'm not talking of Mr Emerson now -but of the whole corps of thought-divers, that have been diving and coming up again with bloodshot eyes since the world began.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herman Melville" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-who-dive-any-fish-can-swim-near/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/herman-melville-162_dive_on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-wh_5056.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/herman-melville-162_dive_on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-wh_5056.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/herman-melville-162_dive_on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-wh_5056.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. 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