Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know

Hear the timeless words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, sage of Concord, who declared: “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” This is no fleeting phrase, but a cry from the depths of the human heart. For within every soul lies a vision of greatness, a hidden spark of possibility, yet too often it sleeps, buried beneath doubt, fear, and forgetfulness. What man or woman truly needs, Emerson teaches, is not wealth, nor power, nor endless comforts, but a voice, a presence, a guide who awakens that hidden fire and summons us to become our fullest selves.

The meaning is profound: each of us already knows, in some quiet chamber of the heart, what we might become. The warrior feels the call to courage, the poet senses the song unwritten, the leader perceives the path yet untraveled. But knowledge alone is not enough. Like an unlit torch, potential waits for the spark of inspiration. It is another—sometimes a teacher, sometimes a friend, sometimes even an enemy—who kindles that flame, who dares us to rise beyond the mediocrity we too easily accept. Emerson reminds us that to be fully alive, we must both give and receive this sacred gift of inspiration.

Consider the tale of Alexander the Great and his teacher, Aristotle. Alexander was born to conquest, but it was Aristotle who expanded his vision, teaching him philosophy, science, and the art of ruling not only by the sword but by wisdom. In this union of student and master, Alexander found the spark to pursue greatness beyond mere war, to dream of a world united under culture and learning. Without Aristotle’s inspiration, Alexander might have remained only a warrior; with it, he became a legend who carried both Greek arms and Greek thought across the known world.

Such is the power of inspiration: it transforms knowledge into action, potential into destiny. Yet Emerson’s words are not reserved for kings and conquerors. They are for the humble as well. A child who meets a teacher who believes in them may grow into a scholar. A soldier who hears a comrade’s cry may rise again in battle. A weary worker, lifted by the kindness of a friend, may find strength to endure. Greatness is rarely born in solitude; it is awakened in us by those who see more in us than we dare to see in ourselves.

But let us not forget: to be inspired is only half the journey. To act upon that inspiration is the true test. Many have felt the fire of vision, but few have walked the hard road to embody it. Emerson calls us not merely to long for such voices, but to become them for others. Each of us has the power to awaken someone else—to speak the word that emboldens, to extend the hand that lifts, to see the hidden greatness in another soul and call it forth.

The lesson is clear: seek out those who stir your spirit, who challenge your smallness, who remind you of the heights you are destined for. And in turn, strive to be such a person for others. Ask yourself: Whom can I inspire today? Whose hidden light can I help bring forth? In doing so, you not only fulfill Emerson’s teaching, you become part of the eternal chain of greatness, where one inspired soul awakens another, generation after generation.

Practical steps follow from this truth. Surround yourself with voices that lift, not those that diminish. Read works that stir the heart, listen to teachers of virtue, and walk with companions of courage. When doubt assails you, remember that your greatness is not unknown—it is only waiting for the right flame. And when you see another falter, do not withhold encouragement; your word may be the spark that changes their life.

Thus Emerson’s words endure like a sacred torch: “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” Carry this teaching forward. Seek inspiration as the thirsty seek water. Give inspiration as the sun gives light. And in doing so, you will not only rise into the fullness of your own being, but also call forth the greatness of countless others, until the world itself shines brighter with awakened souls.