Assault Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long that they have come to esteem the religious, learned and civil institutions as guards of property, and they deprecate assaults on these, because they feel them to be assaults on property. They measure their esteem of each other by what each has, and not by what each is.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Self‑Reliance, 1841
People value institutions as property guards, measuring worth by possessions rather than character.
In simple terms: Society judges by what one owns, not who one is.
Key Takeaway
Value character over material wealth.
Themes
materialism
social critique
values
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- consumer culture
- political discourse
- personal relationships
- education
Key Concepts
philosophy
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines a person's true worth?
- How can we shift focus from possessions to character?
A Different Perspective
May ignore positive roles institutions can play.
