"The universe does not jest with us,..." - Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

“All natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence.”

“The Good Spirit never cared for the colleges, and though all men and boys were now drilled in Greek, Latin, and Mathematics, it had quite left these shells high on the beach, and was creating and feeding other matters [science] at other ends of the world.”

“There are men whose language is strong and defying enough, yet their eyes and their actions ask leave of other men to live.”

“A bit of mould is a pleiad of flowers; a nebula is an ant-hill of stars.”

“The simplicity of the universe is very different from the simplicity of a machine. The simplicity of nature is not that which may be easily read but is inexhaustible. The last analysis can no wise be made.”

“Of what use is the universe? What is the practical application of a million galaxies? Yet just because it has no use, it has a use - which may sound like a paradox, but is not. What, for instance, is the use of playing music? If you play to make money, to outdo some other artist, to be a person of culture, or to improve your mind, you are not really playing - for your mind is not on the music. You don't swing. When you come to think of it, playing or listening to music is a pure luxury, an addiction, a waste of valuable time and money for nothing more than making elaborate patterns of sound.”

“The great will not condescend to take anything seriously.”

“You know, I never trust people who don't laugh, who said, "I am serious" and act as if they put airplane glue on the back of their hands and stuck the glue to their foreheads. I think, "You're not serious; you're boring as hell."”

“You have to have a serious streak in you, or you can't see the funny side of the other fellow.”