Pragmatic Wisdom

Simple lessons for our complicated modern times, drawn from philosophy, religion, and common sense

Member-only story

What Would Ralph Waldo Emerson Say to Americans Today?

7 min readApr 11, 2025

--

Sketch by Hermione Wilds

I’ve been spending time with an old friend — not someone I’ve met in person, but someone whose words feel alive, whose ideas still whisper (and sometimes shout) across the centuries.

He hangs out on my nightstand, face down. His spirit is well alive in my home, heart, and mind. Let me introduce you to him.

His name is Ralph Waldo Emerson, and even though he was born over two hundred years ago, I’m rereading his words as if they hot off the press. Reading Emerson is hard work.

Picking up a book like this and reading it requires a strong will and an intention to understand one of the most extraordinary thinkers of all time. He compels me to remember how human we are.

Book cover image The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
A timeless classic relevant today. Image credit Goodreads.

In other words, you have to be hungry for eternal wisdom to read Emerson. You must be courageous enough to pick up a 1,000-page book and dive in.

I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but I love Emerson’s worldview. Plus, he was a hardcore New Englander who lived in a tundra-like corner of the world where…

--

--

Pragmatic Wisdom
Pragmatic Wisdom

Published in Pragmatic Wisdom

Simple lessons for our complicated modern times, drawn from philosophy, religion, and common sense

Clifford Jones
Clifford Jones

Written by Clifford Jones

Author, visual artist, and family man. Discover the art of life; everyone is an artist. Follow me for inspiring stories about clarity, purpose, and prosperity.