Ralph Waldo Emerson (25 May 1803 – 27 Apr 1882)

Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the greatest American thinkers who believed in the boundlessness of the private man, individualism and the connection between man and nature in the universe. His philosophy was at the center of the American transcendental movement, and his most widely read essay, “Nature” (1833) represented 10 years of intensive study in religion, philosophy and literature. His writings would have a profound influence on some other great American thinkers: Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman. Some great quotes by Emerson include: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” And “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”