That second man has his own way of looking at things; asks himself which debt must I pay first, the debt to the rich, or the debt to the poor? the de… - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Engraved portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, facing left

That second man has his own way of looking at things; asks himself which debt must I pay first, the debt to the rich, or the debt to the poor? the debt of money, or the debt of thought to mankind, of genius to nature? For you, O broker! there is no other principle but arithmetic. For me, commerce is of trivial import; love, faith, truth of character, the aspiration of man, these are sacred; nor can I detach one duty, like you, from all other duties, and concentrate my forces mechanically on the payment of moneys. Let me live onward; you shall find that, though slower, the progress of my character will liquidate all these debts without injustice to higher claims. If a man should dedicate himself to the payment of notes, would not this be injustice? Does he owe no debt but money? And are all claims on him to be postponed to a landlord's or a banker's?

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About Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (25 May 1803 – 27 April 1882) was an American philosopher, essayist, and poet.

Biography information from Wikiquote · Portrait adapted from Wikimedia Commons, User:Scewing derivative work: 2009 (Public domain / CC0)

Also Known As

Alternative Names: R. W. Emerson Waldo Emerson

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Additional quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson

I saw men go up and down, In the country and the town, With this tablet on their neck,— 'Judgement and a judge we seek.' Not to monarchs they repair, Nor to learned jurist's chair; But they hurry to their peers, To their kinsfolk and their dears; Louder than with speech they pray,— 'What am I? companion, say.'

The youth, intoxicated with his admiration of a hero, fails to see, that it is only a projection of his own soul, which he admires.

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