Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.

Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.

Man exists for his own sake and not to add a laborer to the state.

It is easy to live for others; everybody does. I call on you to live for yourselves.

Nature and books belong to the eyes that see them.

Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think.

Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.

The blazing evidence of immortality is our dissatisfaction with any other solution.

Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.

There is always a certain meanness in the argument of conservatism, joined with a certain superiority in its fact.

What strength belongs to every plant and animal in nature. The tree or the brook has no duplicity, no pretentiousness, no show. It is, with all its might and main, what it is, and makes one and the same impression and effect at all times.

Books are for the scholar's idle times. When we can read God directly, the hour is too precious to be wasted in other men's transcripts of their readings.

Every excess causes a defect; every defect an excess.

Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.

God will not have his work made manifest by cowards.

Every ship is a romantic object, except that we sail in.

Nothing can be preserved that is not good.

The best effect of fine persons is felt after we have left their presence.

Always scorn appearances, and you always may. The force of character is cumulative.

I hate quotation. Tell me what you know.