"Every act of the man inscribes itself..." - Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Every act of the man inscribes itself in the memories of his fellows, and in his own manners and face. The air is full of sounds;the sky, of tokens; the ground is all memoranda and signatures; and every object covered over with hints, which speak to the intelligent.
More by Ralph Waldo Emerson
More on Action
“There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. For of one will, the actions will be harmonious, however unlike they seem. These varieties are lost sight of at a little distance, at a little height of thought. One tendency unites them all. The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency.”
“Being willing is not enough. We must do.”
“One does nothing who tries to console a despondent person with word. A friend is one who aids with deeds at a critical time when deeds are called for.”
More on Impact
“If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skull, why then do we read it?”
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.”
“Every word is a messenger. Some have wings; some are filled with fire; some are filled with death.”