Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

Self-help must precede help from others. Even for making certain of help from heaven, one has to help oneself.

Ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do. Self-indulgence means tying it to the things that happen to you. Sanity means tying it to your own actions.

Without your own effort it is impossible for blessings to come.

We must give up the silly idea of folding our hands and waiting on God to do everything for us. If God had intended for that, then he would not have given us a mind. Whatever you want in life, you must make up your mind to do it for yourself.

Our elevation must be the result of self-efforts and work of our own hands. No other human power can accomplish it. If we but determine it shall be so, it will be so.

Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals.

It is not the situation that makes the man, but the man who makes the situation.

From doing A Moon for the Misbegotten, I've learned that nobody's love can save anybody else. There are people who want to die, and nothing or nobody will stop them. The only one who can save you is yourself.

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.

Virtues are acquired through endeavor, which rests wholly upon yourself.

I run my own world, because I very firmly believe that my destiny, my future is in my hands and I don't want to blame anybody else for the path that I take.

A person's life is of their own making, and I take full responsibility for mine.

You may be always victorious if you will never enter into any contest where the issue does not wholly depend upon yourself.

I know that no one can really stop me but myself and that really no one can help me but myself.

You might well remember that nothing can bring you success but yourself.

I was always led to believe you should take care of yourself, trust in your abilities and you're the author of your own destiny.

God helps those who help themselves.

Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.

Everything starts with yourself, with you making up your mind about what you're going to do with your life. I tell kids that it's a cruel world, and that the world will bend them either left or right, and it's up to them to decide which way to bend.

The gods help them that help themselves.

Everyone has to make their own decisions. I still believe in that. You just have to be able to accept the consequences without complaining.

Every man is the son of his own works.

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.

I'm of the school of thought where if you can't sort something out for yourself then no one can help you.

Ultimately the person, even the child, must choose for himself.