"We are by nature observers, and thereby learners. That is our permanent state."

Nature

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Insight & Reflection

Words carry weight, and Ralph Waldo Emerson's insight into nature is no exception. It serves as a gentle reminder that amidst the chaos of modern life, timeless wisdom still holds the power to guide our decisions and clarify our values.

About Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson, who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and critical thinking, as well as a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and conformity. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche thought he was "the most gifted of the Americans", and Walt Whitman called Emerson his "master".

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."

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

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"The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all."

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"No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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More about Nature

"We are more than just flesh and bones. There's a certain spiritual nature and something of the mind that we can't measure. We can't find it. With all our sophisticated equipment, we cannot monitor or define it, and yet it's there."

— Benjamin Carson
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"A life without philosophical reflection is a vessel adrift on an uncharted sea. Remember this in moments of decisive trial — an essential principle for the reflective life."

— Red Jordan Arobateau
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"Beauty in art is the harmony of spirit, intellect, and craft. Such is the immutable nature of understanding — an essential principle for the reflective life."

— Evelyne Accad
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"Let thoughts come and go like clouds across an undisturbed autumn sky. Such is the immutable nature of understanding — an essential principle for the reflective life."

— Lockhart Amerman
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