Self-Reliance (Primary source)
Perhaps Emerson’s most famous essay, Self-Reliance passionately urges individuals to trust their own instincts and intuitions rather than conforming to societal pressures or external authorities. It champions nonconformity, self-trust, and the power of the individual. Its famous opening line, Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string, encapsulates its core message.
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“The years teach much which the days never know.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary sourceMore quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson →
“Most marriages don’t add two people together. They subtract one from the other.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Disputed“A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Life is our dictionary.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source