Quote Of The Day By Ralph Waldo Emerson: 'And Indeed The Love Of Wealth Seems To...'

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Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the big thinkers of his time, and he penned several works that are still studied today. Born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts, Emerson was an intelligent child who could read before his third birthday. At age 14, he started his education at Harvard University, going on to become a writer, lecturer, and the leader of the Transcendentalist movement. Before all of these impressive ventures, however, Emerson was a minister of the Unitarian church. He departed from this profession following the shocking death of his first wife, Ellen Tucker, in 1831. The happy couple had only been married for about two years at the time. 

Emerson understandably grappled with his faith in the aftermath, leaving the church and pursuing writing and teaching instead. As a Transcendentalist, Emerson observed and questioned the worldly constructs around him. He believed freedom and nature were two of the most important things in life. In Emerson's works, the keen philosopher investigated humanity's universal desire for wealth, and the real reasons behind it, alongside the inevitable consequences of exchanging most of your life for monetary compensation. It is from these works that we pulled today's quote of the day.

"And indeed the love of wealth seems to grow chiefly out of the root of the love of the beautiful." This quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson can be found in "The complete works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and Solitude [Vol. 7]." In its pages, he explored domestic life, and the toil required to maintain a perfectly curated home. The essayist came to the conclusion that having a beautiful house might not be worth the labor and hardship of maintaining it. It would appear Emerson thought people's love of money was primarily driven by the beautiful things it allowed them to possess. However, acquiring these funds arguably took the beauty out of the things that really matter in life.

We all love pretty things; that's human nature. We also have a tendency to constantly compare what we have to what others possess. Then, we try to match it, which creates a never-ending cycle of never being content with our lot. Entire industries have been built on humans' desire to own nice things. Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested that, while we might spend our hard-earned money with the best of intentions (we just want our home to look good for our family, or to be comfortable, or we just know we'll feel better when we buy this specific thing), we end up with an insatiable appetite to keep adding more. 

There will never be enough to satisfy us completely, and in this world, with its shifting trends and social media constantly showing you advertisements for the next must-have to make your life better, we keep convincing ourselves that we're spending our paychecks on things that will beautify and better our lives. But true beauty lies elsewhere. True beauty is going to bed with a happy heart; it's spending time with loved ones. 

Ironically, in our pursuit of more, we tend to miss out on all of the things that really make life beautiful. Emerson likely understood this better than anyone, having lost his first wife so early in their marriage. Time with our friends and family can be short. Every moment we spend chasing money is one moment less we get to spend with them. It's worth taking stock of where our priorities lie, and whether we're missing out on the true beauty of this world in pursuit of an artificial beauty that will never satisfy our souls.

• "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

• "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

• "Nature never hurries: Atom by atom, little by little, she achieves her work."

• "The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one."

• "Always do what you are afraid to do."