Let him be great, and love shall follow him. Nothing is more deeply punished than the neglect of the affinities by which alone society should be formed, and the insane levity of choosing associates by others eyes.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that greatness and love are interconnected, and that choosing friends and associates wisely is crucial for a healthy society.
In this quote, Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests that true greatness naturally attracts love, and neglecting important personal connections is severely punished. He criticizes the superficiality of forming relationships based on others' perceptions rather than genuine affinities, highlighting the importance of authenticity in our social connections for a flourishing society.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about building meaningful relationships in a community.
It is plain that there is no separate essence called courage, no cup or cell in the brain, no vessel in the heart containing drops or atoms that make or give this virtue; but it is the right or healthy state of every man, when he is free to do that which is constitutional to him to do.
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Men cease to interest us when we find their limitations
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Hast thou named all the birds without a gun?
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I sang with my father for over 50 years, and now all of a sudden he's gone, and I just dropped out.
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The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, whether through malice or through ignorance, remain branded in his memory, and sooner or later they burn his soul.
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