--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember an answer which when quite…" description: "\"“I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make to a valued adviser who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_adviser_i-remember-an-answer-which-when-quite-yo_1312136.png" --- # I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted… ![“I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make to a valued adviser who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the church. On my saying, What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within? my friend suggested--'But these impulses…” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_adviser_i-remember-an-answer-which-when-quite-yo_1312136.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_adviser_i-remember-an-answer-which-when-quite-yo_1312136.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_adviser_i-remember-an-answer-which-when-quite-yo_1312136.png) > ““I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make to a valued adviser who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the church. On my saying, What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within? my friend suggested--'But these impulses may be from below, not from above.' I replied, 'They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the devil's child, I will live them from the devil.”” [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. The quote challenges the authority of tradition, urging inner authenticity over external doctrine. **In simple terms:** Live by inner truth, not imposed traditions. Key Takeaway Trust your inner voice. Themes individualism authenticity spirituality Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decision making - spiritual practice - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts self-reliance inner guidance moral autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern inner guidance from cultural conditioning? - When is tradition a useful guide? A Different Perspective May overlook valuable wisdom embedded in tradition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sacredness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacredness/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [“On my saying, What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within? my friend suggested,--"But these impulses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/on-my-saying-what-have-i-to-do-with-the-sacredness-of-traditions-if-i/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. 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But when you're famous and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/christianity-or-any-religion-doesn-t-necessarily-have-to-be-about-a/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [In my house, it's family first - but I was spending most of my time at the church. So, I was saying 'family first,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-remini/in-my-house-it-s-family-first-but-i-was-spending-most-of-my-time-at/) [Leah Remini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-remini/) > [Tell me what the world is saying today, and I'll tell you what the church will be saying in seven years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/tell-me-what-the-world-is-saying-today-and-i-ll-tell-you-what-the/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [Women today leave the house in animal prints and six inch stilettos, what does that say? I'm going to church? 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I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/) [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. 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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 Adviser quotes > [In 1949 there was a new thing called Television, to which my agency and advisers opposed as a performance medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-young/in-1949-there-was-a-new-thing-called-television-to-which-my-agency/) [Loretta Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-young/) > [President Bush deliberately did not apologize for things and that’s because advisers around him, including those there, felt that the press corps would jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gregory/president-bush-deliberately-did-not-apologize-for-things-and-that-s/) [David Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gregory/) > [The best adviser is God, the good listener is heart but the mind of person always confused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meicee/the-best-adviser-is-god-the-good-listener-is-heart-but-the-mind-of/) Meicee > [No adviser to a president is going to get his way all of the time, but at a minimum, that adviser should be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/no-adviser-to-a-president-is-going-to-get-his-way-all-of-the-time-but/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Men tend to leave their financial adviser at a single-digit-percent rate in any given year. 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