“He in whom the love of repose predominates will accept the first creed, the first philosophy, the first political party he meets — most likely his father's. He gets rest, commodity, and reputation; but he shuts the door of truth.”

American essayist and poet of the 19th century, Emerson is best known for his transcendentalist philosophy and influential lectures on self-reliance and individualism. His works, including "Self-Reliance" and "Nature," championed intuition, personal experience, and the inherent goodness of humanity.