Our people are slow to learn the wisdom of sending character instead of talent to Congress. Again and again they have sent a man of great acuteness, a fine scholar, a fine forensic orator, and some master of the brawls has crunched him up in his hands like a bit of paper.

But, if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from these heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what he touches. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime... But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.

There can never be deep peace between two spirits, never mutual respect, until, in their dialogue, each stands for the whole world.

One single idea may have greater weight than all the men, animals, and machines for a century.

We live in a system of approximations. Every end is prospective of some other end, which is also temporary; a round and final success nowhere. We are encamped in nature, not domesticated.

Conversation is an evanescent relation,--no more.

To laugh often and much ... this is to have succeeded. Probably not from Emerson: here's the full quotation and the story.