Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

Thought and theory must precede all salutary action; yet action is nobler in itself than either thought or theory.

The safest thing is always to try to convert everything that is in us and around us into action; let the others talk and argue about it as they please.

Without knowledge action is useless and knowledge without action is futile.

Knowing isn't doing; doing isn't knowing. Nothing but the knowing and the doing gets it done.

There's a scripture in the Book of James which says, 'Become a doer of the word and not a hearer only.' A hearer is someone who looks into a mirror, walks away, and quickly forgets what sort of person he is.

Truth is given, not to be contemplated, but to be done. Life is an action, not a thought.

Il n'y a de réalité que dans l'action. (There is no reality except in action.)

Men must not only know, they must act.

Knowledge is potential; action is power.

Without execution, thinking is mere idleness.

A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting.

Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.

To learn something but not to do is really not to learn. To know something but not to do is really not to know.

To understand the theory which underlies all things is not sufficient. Theory is but the preparation for practice.

It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing.

My whole philosophy is about doing, not talking.

No battle can be won in the study, and theory without practice is dead.

Ideas are useless unless used.

Don't let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action.

Great wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.

Every truth must be accompanied by some corresponding act.

Contemplation is necessary to generate an object, but action must propagate it.

Knowledge is vain and fruitless which is not reduced to practice.

An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory!