More quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Tis the good reader that makes the good book; in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakenly meant for his ear; the profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader; the profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until it is discovered by an equal mind and heart."
"A man's growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends."
"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them."
"What can we see, read, acquire, but ourselves. Take the book, my friend, and read your eyes out, you will never find there what I find."
"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."