---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be true to your own act and congratulate…"
description: "\"Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant to break the monotony of a decorous age.\" — Ralph ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png"
---

#  Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you…

![“Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant to break the monotony of a decorous age.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png)

> “Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant to break the monotony of a decorous age.”

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Embrace individuality and celebrate unconventional actions that break societal monotony.

**In simple terms:** Celebrate your unique, bold actions.

Key Takeaway

Be bold, break routine.

Themes

individuality creativity rebellion

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal projects
- artistic pursuits
- social activism
- career pivots

Key Concepts

existentialism self-expression

Questions to Reflect On

- What unconventional act have you tried?
- How does breaking routine affect your wellbeing?

A Different Perspective

Unconventional actions may face social resistance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

## Related quotes

> [Congratulate yourselves if you have done something strange and extravagant and broken the monotony of a decorous age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/congratulate-yourselves-if-you-have-done-something-strange-and/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Congratulate yourself if you have done something strange, extravagant and broken the monotony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/congratulate-yourself-if-you-have-done-something-strange-extravagant/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“Congratulate yourself if you have broken the monotony of a conventional age”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/congratulate-yourself-if-you-have-broken-the-monotony-of-a/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Under the dominion of an idea, which possesses the minds of multitudes, as civil freedom, or the religious sentiment, the power ofpersons are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/under-the-dominion-of-an-idea-which-possesses-the-minds-of-multitudes/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [If you would serve your brother it is fit for you to serve him, do not take back your words when you find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-you-would-serve-your-brother-it-is-fit-for-you-to-serve-him-do-not/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“Break the monotony. Do something strange and extravagant!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/break-the-monotony-do-something-strange-and-extravagant/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [It is a success, you truly deserved. It is an achievement you have truly earned. I congratulate you on your success and wish you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-success-you-truly-deserved-it-is-an-achievement-you-have/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Men met each other with erected look, The steps were higher that they took; Friends to congratulate their friends made haste, And long inveterate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/men-met-each-other-with-erected-look-the-steps-were-higher-that-they/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [I congratulate you, my brave countrymen and fellow soldiers, on the spirit and success with which you have executed this important part of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolfe/i-congratulate-you-my-brave-countrymen-and-fellow-soldiers-on-the/)

[James Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolfe/)

> [I've been in things that have impressed people and they've come up to congratulate you but in a kind of, you-must-think-you're-really-special way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mcgovern/i-ve-been-in-things-that-have-impressed-people-and-they-ve-come-up-to/)

[Elizabeth McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mcgovern/)

> [It is in an artist's real interest to congratulate herself more often: not out of narcissism, but in her role as her own dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/it-is-in-an-artist-s-real-interest-to-congratulate-herself-more-often/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [“His grin seemed to say, “It is, for some strange reason, considered proper to congratulate people on such occasions as this.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsume-s-seki/his-grin-seemed-to-say-it-is-for-some-strange-reason-considered/)

[Natsume Sōseki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsume-s-seki/)

> [We can only congratulate Edinson Cavani with all the hard work he has been putting in. He really is a team player and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-matuidi/we-can-only-congratulate-edinson-cavani-with-all-the-hard-work-he-has/)

[Blaise Matuidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-matuidi/)

> [Allow me, in conclusion, to congratulate you warmly upon your sexual intercourse, as well as your singing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-spark/allow-me-in-conclusion-to-congratulate-you-warmly-upon-your-sexual/)

[Muriel Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-spark/)

> [Just wanted to congratulate myself on sitting through your graduation ceremony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-wanted-to-congratulate-myself-on-sitting-through-your-graduation/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## 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/)

[Explore all 4,802 Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [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/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant to break the monotony of a decorous age.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ralph Waldo Emerson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate-yourself-if-you-have-done/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate-yourself-if-you-have-done/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_age_be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate_371286.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant to…” — Ralph Waldo Emerson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ralph Waldo Emerson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Be true to your own act...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate-yourself-if-you-have-done/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/be-true-to-your-own-act-and-congratulate-yourself-if-you-have-done/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
