Ralph Waldo Emerson

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To Laugh Often And Much

1856

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Inspiration

Poetry

To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of the intelligent people

and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the best in others; 

to leave the world a bit better

whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;

to know that one life has breathed easier 

because you lived here.

This is to have succeeded.

To Laugh Often And Much
The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.

Louis Brandeis (1956 - 1941) Supreme Court Justice. According to historian Heather Cox Richardson (3/31/24), Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg often quoted Justice Brandeis’s famous line, saying she advised people to “fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”