Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
The sentence comes in the essay Circles, whose theme is that every limit is a starting point for a larger circle. Emerson goes on to say that the way of life is wonderful and “it is by abandonment”.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.
To be great is to be misunderstood.
I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
Call to mind from whence we sprang: / Ye were not form’d to live the life of brutes / But virtue to pursue and knowledge high.