Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes About Heroism

• The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Hero, Men, Generosity

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2010). “Essays and English Traits by Ralph Waldo Emerson: The Five Foot Shelf of Classics, Vol. V (in 51 Volumes)”, p.133, Cosimo, Inc.

• A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Love, Inspirational, Motivational

• Every hero becomes a bore at last.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Motivational, Badass, Hipster

  'Representative Men' (1850) 'Uses of Great Men'

• Self trust is the essence of heroism.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Confidence, Running, Wisdom

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Adam Starchild (2002). “Character and Heroism”, p.63, The Minerva Group, Inc.

• To this military attitude of the soul we give the name of Heroism... It is a self-trust which slights the restraints of prudence, in the plenitude of its energy and power to repair the harms it may suffer. The hero is a mind of such balance that no disturbances can shake his will.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Attitude, Military, Hero

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2012). “The Selected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.80, Graphic Arts Books

• Heroism feels and never reasons, and therefore is always right.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Military, Hero, History

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1983). “Essays and Lectures”, p.374, Library of America

• In private places, among sordid objects, an act of truth or heroism seems at once to draw to itself the sky as its temple, the sun as its cradle. Nature stretches out her arms to embrace man, only let his thoughts be of equal greatness.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Truth, Greatness, Men

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1866). “Miscellanies, embracing Nature, addresses, and lectures”, p.19

• I think that the heroism which at this day would make on us the impression of Epaminondas and Phocion must be that of a domestic conqueror. He who shall bravely and gracefully subdue this Gorgon of Convention and Fashion, and show men how to lead a clean, handsome and heroic life amid the beggarly elements of our cities and villages; whoso shall teach me how to eat my meat and take my repose and deal with men, without any shame following, will restore the life of man to splendor, and make his own name dear to all history.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Fashion, Men, Thinking

• But, if we explore the literature of Heroism, we shall quickly come to Plutarch, who is its Doctor and historian. To him we owe the Brasidas, the Dion, the Epaminodas, the Scipio of old, and I must think we are more deeply indebted to him than to all the ancient writers. Each of his "Lives" is a refutation to the despondency and cowardice of our religious and political theorists. A wild courage, a Stoicism not of the schools, but of the blood, shines in every anecdote, and had given that book immense fame.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Religious, Book, School

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2000). “Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson: (A Modern Library E-Book)”, p.281, Modern Library

• The heroic cannot be the common,
  nor the common the heroic.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Hero, Common, Reconcile

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1983). “Essays and Lectures”, p.379, Library of America

• Heroism works in contradiction to the voice of mankind and in contradiction, for a time, to the voice of the great and good. Heroism is an obedience to a secret impulse of an individual

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Voice, Secret, Heroism

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.1362, Delphi Classics

• A hero is a man who is afraid to run away.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Running, Hero, Men

• The hero is suffered to be himself.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Hero, Heroism

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1866). “The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations”, p.387

• Every heroic act measures itself by its contempt of some external good. But it finds its own success at last, and then the prudent also extol.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Heroism, Lasts, Prudent

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2015). “Essays”, p.39, Xist Publishing

• Times of heroism are generally times of terror, but the day never shines in which this element may not work.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Time, Hero, Shining

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1870). “The Prose Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.353, Рипол Классик

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