As we are so we associate.
â
As we are, so we associate.
The good, by affinity,
seek the good;
the vile, by affinity, the vile.
Thus of their own volition,
souls proceed into Heaven,
into Hell.
â
Meaning
This quote means people are drawn toward companions who match their own nature, and their moral direction shapes the world they inhabit.
About Author
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, philosopher, and poet, known for his work on transcendentalism and individualism. His quotes often reflect self-reliance, wisdom, and introspection. Emerson inspires writers, thinkers, and students to embrace personal growth, independent thought, and the philosophical exploration of life and nature.
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This quote means belief based only on external authority is not genuine faith. Real faith must be inwardly owned.
â Philosophically considered, the universe is composed of Nature and the Soul. Strictly speaking, therefore, all that is separate from us, all which Philosophy distinguishes as the 'Not Me,' that is, both nature and art, all other men and my own body, must be ranked under this name, Nature. â
This quote means everything outside the self, including art, nature, other people, and even the body, belongs to the realm of nature in contrast to the soul.
â God screens us evermore from premature ideas. â
This quote means deeper truths are given only when we are ready for them, not before. Ripeness matters in understanding.