--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, the world has a million writers…" description: "\"Well, the world has a million writers. One would think, then, that good thought would be as familiar as air and water, and the gifts of each new hour w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_air_well-the-world-has-a-million-writers-one_63997.png" --- # Well, the world has a million writers. One would think… ![“Well, the world has a million writers. One would think, then, that good thought would be as familiar as air and water, and the gifts of each new hour would exclude the last. Yet we can count all our good books; nay, I remember any beautiful verse for twenty years.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_air_well-the-world-has-a-million-writers-one_63997.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_air_well-the-world-has-a-million-writers-one_63997.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_air_well-the-world-has-a-million-writers-one_63997.png) > “Well, the world has a million writers. One would think, then, that good thought would be as familiar as air and water, and the gifts of each new hour would exclude the last. Yet we can count all our good books; nay, I remember any beautiful verse for twenty years.” [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 abundance of writers does not guarantee a steady flow of quality ideas; truly great works are rare and often forgotten over time. **In simple terms:** Quantity of writers ≠ quality of literature Key Takeaway Great works are scarce Themes Literary scarcity Value of originality Temporal forgetfulness Cultural memory Creative abundance Mood Nostalgic Reflective Critical Type Observation Philosophical statement When to use this quote - Evaluating literary trends - Teaching literature - Curating anthologies - Discussing cultural memory - Assessing artistic value Key Concepts Writer abundance Quality vs quantity Ephemeral fame Literary canon Practical Applications - Literary criticism - Curriculum design Questions to Reflect On - Why do we overlook many great works? - How does abundance affect perceived value? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air and water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-and-water/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [Good thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thought/) [Good thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thoughts/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Verses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verses/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A good thought is indeed a great boon, for which God is to be first thanked; next he who is the first to utter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/a-good-thought-is-indeed-a-great-boon-for-which-god-is-to-be-first/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grenville-kleiser/every-good-thought-you-think-is-contributing-its-share-to-the/) [Grenville Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grenville-kleiser/) > [“Don't let bad thoughts deceive you into thinking that you have to feel bad. Be aware and conscious of it and choose to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osayi-osar-emokpae/don-t-let-bad-thoughts-deceive-you-into-thinking-that-you-have-to/) [Osayi Osar-Emokpae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osayi-osar-emokpae/) > [God is glorified, not by our groans, but our thanksgivings; and all good thought and good action claim a natural alliance with good cheer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/god-is-glorified-not-by-our-groans-but-our-thanksgivings-and-all-good/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [If we both exchange one dollar, we have one dollar each. But, if we exchange one good thought, we both have two good thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-we-both-exchange-one-dollar-we-have-one-dollar-each-but-if-we/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoroaster/turn-yourself-not-away-from-three-best-things-good-thought-good-word/) [Zoroaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoroaster/) > [What use is a good thought if no one agrees with it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-muni/what-use-is-a-good-thought-if-no-one-agrees-with-it/) [Paul Muni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-muni/) > [If you can't hold a person in your mind with a good thought, it is better not to think about them at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-can-t-hold-a-person-in-your-mind-with-a-good-thought-it-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I certainly think that the best book in the world would owe the most to a good index, and the worst book, if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-binney-wallace/i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in-the-world-would-owe-the-most/) Horace Binney Wallace > [If we exchange one dollar, we both have one dollar each. But if we exchange one good thought, we both have two good thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-we-exchange-one-dollar-we-both-have-one-dollar-each-but-if-we/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Theres not one good thought in me, apart from God. Thats the good news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-walsh/theres-not-one-good-thought-in-me-apart-from-god-thats-the-good-news/) [Sheila Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-walsh/) > [Every good that you do, every good that you say, every good thought you think, vibrates on and on and never ceases. The evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/every-good-that-you-do-every-good-that-you-say-every-good-thought-you/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [I told them that anything they do for their brothers and sisters is good if they do it with a good thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/i-told-them-that-anything-they-do-for-their-brothers-and-sisters-is/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [“I'm about to fuck up, he thought clearly, and his next thought was, but I don't have to. This was followed closely by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-m-about-to-fuck-up-he-thought-clearly-and-his-next-thought-was-but/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When The Fall pummeled their way into my nervous system, circa 1983, it was as if a world that was familiar - and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/when-the-fall-pummeled-their-way-into-my-nervous-system-circa-1983-it/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) ## 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. 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