The American Nation Leader

EMERSON, RALPH WALDO (1803–1882) –the American writer and philosopher, public person, one of the most significant notionalists of the USA. In 1821, he graduated from Harvard where he had got theological education. Some of his poems – Brahma, Days, The Snow-Storm and Concord Hymn – entered the classics of the American literature.

Ralph Waldo gained the affection of readers in Germany, even exerting his influence on the great philosopher F.Nietzsche.

In Russia, Emerson impressed Leo Tolstoy and other Russian writers greatly. In a number of L. Tolstoy’s statements in his diaries, letters and articles one can see the similarity of his views with the philosophy of Emerson. Tolstoy had high regard for the American notionalist, calling him ‘the Christian religious writer’.

In the second half of the XIXth century, Ralph Waldo Emerson took the place of American nation’s spiritual leader being vacant after the death of Benjamin Franklin.

EMERSON:
‘The best gift is the embracement: it suits everybody’s size, and nobody is against if you give it back’.

‘Don’t go where the road goes… Go where there is no road, and leave your imprint’.

‘Everything being behind us and being before us is nothing in comparison with what is inside us’.

‘The man is comprised of the books he reads’.

‘No one in the world is able of providing you with inward peace except for yourselves’.

‘A real genius can be recognized by all positive fools’ conspiring against him upon his appearing’

‘Your appearance speaks louder than you’.

‘A wise person always takes the side of those who attacks him. He is more interested to find his weak spot than they’.

‘The radiance of friendship is not in lending a helping hand, not in a kind smile, not in joyfulness of cooperation; it is in spiritual insightdescending onto a manthe moment he realizes the existence of another man believing in him and trusting him in friendship’.

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Эмерсон,_Ральф_Уолдоhttp://www.inpearls.ru/author/1272/2