Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes about Society

Society is a hospital of incurables.

Society, Hospitals

Ralph Waldo Emerson (2009). “The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.410, Modern Library

No man can have society upon his own terms.

Men, Society, Term

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1964). “The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.178, Harvard University Press

Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. Society acquires new arts, and loses old instincts.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Art, Society, Gains

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1808). “Select Essays and Poems”, p.59

Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Real, Character, Society

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Barbara L. Packer, Joseph Slater, Douglas Emory Wilson (2003). “The Conduct of Life”, p.119, Harvard University Press

Society does not love its unmaskers.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Society, Doe

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1976). “Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume XII: 1835-1862”, p.506, Harvard University Press

The evolution of a highly destined society must be moral; it must run in the grooves of the celestial wheels.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Running, Society, Wheels

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1971). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude”, p.13, Harvard University Press

If I should go out of church whenever I hear a false statement I could never stay there five minutes. But why come out? The streetis as false as the church, and when I get to my house, or to my manners, or to my speech, I have not got away from the lie.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lying, House, Society

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1883). “The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations”

Society always consists in the greatest part, of young and foolish persons.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Society, Foolish, Young

When a man meets his make, society begins.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Men, Society

Society will pardon much to genius and special gifts; but, being in its nature conventional, it loves what is conventional, or what belongs to coming together.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Special, Society, Together

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1870). “The Prose Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.487, Рипол Классик

Besides the general infusion of wit to heighten civility, the direct splendor of intellectual power is ever welcome in fine society, as the costliest addition to its rule and its credit.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Intellectual, Society, Credit

Ralph Waldo Emerson (2012). “Essays (Annotated Edition)”, p.256, Jazzybee Verlag

In this great society wide lying around us, a critical analysis would find very few spontaneous actions. It is almost all custom and gross sense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lying, Critical Analysis, Society

Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Mikics (2012). “The Annotated Emerson”, p.226, Harvard University Press

It is the fine souls who serve us, and not what is called fine society. Fine society is only a self-protection against the vulgarities of the street and the tavern.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self, Soul, Society

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1866). “The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations”, p.413

Society cannot do without cultivated men. As soon as the first wants are satisfied, the higher wants become imperative.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Men, Society, Culture

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1870). “Society and Solitude: Twelve Chapters”, p.15, London S. Low, Son & Marston 1870.

Society is frivolous, and shreds its day into scraps, its conversation into ceremonies and escapes.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Society, Conversation, Ceremony

Ralph Waldo Emerson (2012). “Nature and Other Essays”, p.53, Courier Corporation

A man is a beggar who only lives to the useful, and, however he may serve as a pin or rivet in the social machine, cannot be saidto have arrived at self-possession.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Men, Self, Society

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1872). “Representative men. English traits. Conduct of life”, p.399

Human society is made up of partialities. Each citizen has an interest and a view of his own, which, if followed out to the extreme, would leave no room for any other citizen.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Views, Society, Citizens

Ralph Waldo Emerson (2005). “The Selected Lectures of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.223, University of Georgia Press