A Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Insist on yourself. Never imitate.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote Topics

Imitate Insist Never Yourself

Quote Author

Ralph Waldo Emerson
American - Philosopher
May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882

The characteristic of the first sort of religion is imitation. It insists on imitation: imitate Buddha, imitate Christ, imitate Mahavir, but imitate. Imitate somebody. Don`t be yourself, be somebody else. And if you are very stubborn you can force yourself to be somebody else. You will never be somebody else. Deep down you cannot be. You will remain yourself, but you can force so much that you almost start looking like somebody else.

Rajneesh

Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can offer with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Insist on your life, never imitate... do that which is assigned to you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

[D]on’t cling to your self-righteous suffering, let it go. . . . Nothing is too good to be true, let yourself be forgiven. To the degree you insist that you must suffer, you insist on the suffering of others as well. (90)

Stephen Levine

I've been telling my students, 'Imitate, imitate.' And they say, 'Well, what if I plagiarize, or what if I'm not original? I want to be myself.' And I always tell them, 'Your self will shine through'... If you allow yourself to feel deeply and honestly, what you say won't be like anyone else.

Natasha Trethewey

Unless, of course, you insist on identifying yourself with the people and things you love; and thereby seriously disturb yourself.

Albert Ellis

I could sum it up in one thing: A guy has to be what he is. He's got to coach and have a philosophy based on his own personality. You see too many coaches trying to imitate other coaches, trying to be someone else. It's all right to emulate the qualities of good coaches but I don't think you should imitate. You've got to be yourself.

LaVell Edwards

I didn't want to be captain, I wanted to have more free time. I didn't want that added pressure at that particular time, but they actually insist, insist, insist, so I said OK. So I thought, just get on with it.

Chris Gayle

Be yourself. Don't imitate other poets. You are as important as they are.

Gwendolyn Brooks

Insist upon yourself. Be original.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A disciple...can never imitate his guide's steps. You have your own way of living your life, of dealing with problems, and of winning. Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself.

Paulo Coelho

Why do you insist upon destroying yourself?

Charles Bukowski

The function of education is to help you from childhood not to imitate anybody, but be yourself all the time.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

If you are going to be a character for the long-term you can't just imitate, you have to bring yourself to it.

Russi Taylor

The ministers are in duty bound to denounce all intellectual pride, and show that we are never quite so dear to God as when we admit that we are poor, corrupt and idiotic worms; that we never should have been born; that we ought to be damned without the least delay.... The old creed is still taught. They still insist that God is infinitely wise, powerful and good, and that all men are totally depraved. They insist that the best man god ever made, deserved to be damned the moment he was finished.