Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

The great man who gives a true transcript of his mind fascinates and instructs. Most writers suppress individuality. They wish to please the public.

I can't think of anything worse, really, than to try to live up to someone else's expectations of what you should be. You don't make art by consensus.

If you think about what everyone else will think, you forget to just make music.

It's a shame to waste [the uniqueness that is you], by doing what someone else has done.

There is only one way in the world to be distinguished. Follow your instinct! Be yourself, and you'll be somebody. Be one more blind follower of the blind, and you will have the oblivion you desire.

One must renounce the bad taste of wishing to agree with many people.

People are timid and apologetic; they are no longer upright; they dare not say "I think," "I am," but quote some saint or sage. They are ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day.

I keep saying, 'Don't change. Be who you are,' but society is really strong in their opinions.

Go with your gut every single time. It’s never, ever wrong. Even if feels like everybody else is telling you that you need to do this or do that. Your gut is your artist and who you are as a person and what makes you special, and what makes you an interesting performer. Never try to be something you’re not.

Who has no own conviction dissipates himself in the imitation of others.

If you try all different styles that are in vogue, I think you con yourself. Me, I just stick by my guns; I don't want to play out of another man's bag.

Everybody talks about finding your voice. Do your homework and your voice will find you.

Competition impedes creativity because you present yourself in a way that's going to been seen by somebody outside of you. You're not very much yourself and it limits you.

Style is originality; fashion is fascism. The two are eternally and unalterably opposed.

Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be.

To have opinions is to sell out to youself. To have no opinions is to exist. To have every opinion is to be a poet.

You were born God's original. Try not to become someone's copy.

If I wasted my time trying to be like everybody else when I was 10 and 11, I wouldn't be me today. So if you are gonna be the future rockstars, the future somebody, whatever you wanna be then you're wasting your time trying to be somebody else, because you'll never get to you.

Don't be someone else's slogan because you are poetry.

Don't write what you think people want to read. Find your voice and write about what's in your heart.

Insist on yourself. Never imitate.

I just tend to admire people who go for what they believe in, like David Lynch for example, and just say what goes through their heads, and are not afraid of people not accepting them. I have no respect for people who deliberately try to be weird to attract attention, but if that's who you honestly are, you shouldn't try to "normalize yourself". It's a fine line.

To be like other people is to be unlike ourselves.

Never change for the mainstream—stay in your lane, and if you’re talented and resilient enough the mainstream will come to you.

You have ideas planted in your head, thoughts you never had before, that tell you how you have to act, how you have to dress and who you have to be. I have been trying to push back, to be authentic, to follow my heart, but it can be hard.