Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

In America the geography is sublime, but the men are not; the inventions are excellent, but the inventors one is sometimes ashamed of.

In America the geography is sublime, but the men are not; th

Summary

This quote suggests that America has a magnificent and awe-inspiring landscape, but the quality of its people does not match the beauty of the land. It also points out that while there are outstanding inventions that emerge from America, the character or actions of some inventors leave something to be desired, potentially causing feelings of disappointment or embarrassment. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the contradiction between the natural beauty of the country and the shortcomings of its citizens and innovators.

Topics

America

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

But look what we have built low-income projects that become

But look what we have built low-income projects that become worse centers of delinquency, vandalism and general social hopelessness than the slums they were supposed to replace. Cultural centers that are unable to support a good bookstore. Civic centers that are avoided by everyone but bums. Promenades that go from no place to nowhere and have no promenaders. Expressways that eviscerate great cities. This is not the rebuilding of cities. This is the sacking of cities.

Cities

You always pass failure on the way to success.

You always pass failure on the way to success.

Failure

It's really kind of cool to have solar panels on your roof.

It's really kind of cool to have solar panels on your roof.

Man

Temptations, when we first meet them, are like a lion that r

Temptations, when we first meet them, are like a lion that roared at Samson; but if we overcome them, the next time we see them we shall find a nest of honey within them.

Temptation

Life is to blame for everything.

Life is to blame for everything.

Seize the time... Live now! Make now always the most preciou

Seize the time... Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Third, we will make trade work for America by forging new tr

Third, we will make trade work for America by forging new trade agreements. And when nations cheat in trade, there will be unmistakable consequences.

Work

For those of us who have been thrown into hell, mysterious m

For those of us who have been thrown into hell, mysterious melodies and the torturing images of a vanished beauty will always bring us, in the midst of crime and folly, the echo of that harmonious insurrection which bears witness, throughout the centuries, to the greatness of humanity.

Beauty Crime Greatness

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy must have somebody to divide it with.

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweig

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.

Golf

Don't trust the person who has broken faith once.

Don't trust the person who has broken faith once.

William Shakespeare

Trust

Argument is conclusive... but... it does not remove doubt, s

Argument is conclusive... but... it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of the truth, unless it finds it by the method of experiment. For if any man who never saw fire proved by satisfactory arguments that fire burns. his hearer's mind would never be satisfied, nor would he avoid the fire until he put his hand in it that he might learn by experiment what argument taught.

Argument & Debate