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Henry David Thoreau: A Journey Through His 50 Best Quotes

Henry David Thoreau was a renowned American philosopher and poet who inspired generations with his timeless wisdom. His words are as relevant today as they were in the 19th century, providing insight into modern life that is both profound and inspirational.

In this article, we will explore 50 of the best quotes from Henry David Thoreau to help us better understand our lives and discover new ways of thinking and living. These thought-provoking sayings provide us with an opportunity to question assumptions, break away from traditional mindsets, and open ourselves up to creative possibilities – all essential components for innovation.

Best Henry David Thoreau Quotes

  1. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
  2. “Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify.”
  3. “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
  4. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
  5. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
  6. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
  7. “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
  8. “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.”
  9. “The only way to tell the truth is to speak with kindness. Only the words of a loving man can be heard.”
  10. “Things do not change; we change.”
  11. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”
  12. “Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
  13. “Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”
  14. “The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.”
  15. “The universe is wider than our views of it.”
  16. “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
  17. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
  18. “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.”
  19. If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
  20. “It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?”
  21. “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand.”
  22. “Dreams are the touchstones of our character.”
  23. “Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
  24. “It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”
  25. “Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.”
  26. “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.”
  27. “It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.”
  28. “The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished.”
  29. “To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust.”
  30. “The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
  31. “All good things are wild and free.”
  32. “It is better to have your head in the clouds, and know where you are… than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them, and think that you are in paradise.”
  33. “Things do not change; we change.”
  34. “What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.”
  35. “The artist is he who detects and applies the law from observation of the works of genius, whether of man or Nature. The artisan is he who merely applies the rules which others have detected.”
  36. “To be awake is to be alive.”
  37. “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”
  38. “The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.”
  39. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
  40. “The language of excitement is at best picturesque merely. You must be calm before you can utter oracles.”
  41. “The sun is but a morning star.”
  42. “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.”
  43. “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.”
  44. “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
  45. “Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”
  46. “Men have become the tools of their tools.”
  47. “Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”
  48. “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
  49. “Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.”
  50. “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

Conclusion

As I reflect on the wisdom of Henry David Thoreau, it becomes crystal clear why his words have endured through time. His insights into life, nature, happiness and contentment, society and governance still ring true today!

With a unique blend of irony and wit, he offers timeless truths that can be applied to any era. It’s no wonder that so many people turn to him for inspiration in their own lives.

There is something special about Thoreau’s ability to capture the complexity of human experience with just a few carefully chosen words – an art which will continue to inspire us all for years to come.