"Death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
About this Quote
This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks to the concept that death is inevitable, but that terrific achievements can survive on beyond our own lives. Emerson recommends that these accomplishments can be viewed as monoliths that will outlast us, even when the sun ultimately grows cold. This quote encourages us to pursue achievement, as our achievements can live on long after we are gone. It is a reminder that our lives are finite, but that our tradition can be everlasting. We can make a lasting influence on the world, even after we are gone. Emerson's quote is a reminder to make the most of our lives and to pursue success, as our accomplishments can live on long after we are gone.
"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization"