"Character is higher than intellect." by Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote means that intelligence is not as important than character. As in if you are a very smart person but are rude to others, that is not a good thing to do. This is because at the end you will have no one by your side to talk to because you were a rude person to them. That is why you should be polite to others and make right decisions. You have to have a positive mind and positive thoughts.