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Henry David Thoreau

Philosopher
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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.
From Walden: Or, Life in the Woods
It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the universal favor with which the New Testament is outwardly received, and even the bigotry with which it is defended, there is no hospitality shown to, there is no appreciation of, the order of truth with which it deals.
From Henry David Thoreau: A Week, Walden, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod
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.
Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.
Things do not change; we change.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.
There is an incessant influx of novelty into the world, and yet we tolerate incredible dulness. I need only suggest what kind of sermons are still listened to in the most enlightened countries. There are such words as joy and sorrow, but they are only the burden of a psalm, sung with a nasal twang, while we believe in the ordinary and mean.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Any fool can make a rule
And any fool will mind it.
From Journal #14
When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.
The language of Friendship is not words, but meanings.
From A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
We are constantly invited to be what we are.
Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has
been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed
there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.
It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.
From Walden & Resistance to Civil Government
The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
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.
Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have. As if one were to wear any sort of coat which the tailor might cut out for him, or gradually leaving off palm-leaf hat or cap of woodchuck skin, complain of hard times because he could not afford to buy him a crown! It is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have, which yet all would admit that man could not afford to pay for. Shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes be content with less?
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at; as railroads lead to Boston or New York. We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
What sort of philosophers are we, who know absolutely nothing of the origin and destiny of cats?
From Thoreau Journal 9
All men want, not something to do with, but something to do, or rather something to be.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Men are born to succeed, not to fail.
What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.
From Walden: Or, Life in the Woods
It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the universal favor with which the New Testament is outwardly received, and even the bigotry with which it is defended, there is no hospitality shown to, there is no appreciation of, the order of truth with which it deals.
From Henry David Thoreau: A Week, Walden, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod
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.
Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.
Things do not change; we change.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.
There is an incessant influx of novelty into the world, and yet we tolerate incredible dulness. I need only suggest what kind of sermons are still listened to in the most enlightened countries. There are such words as joy and sorrow, but they are only the burden of a psalm, sung with a nasal twang, while we believe in the ordinary and mean.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Any fool can make a rule
And any fool will mind it.
From Journal #14
When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.
The language of Friendship is not words, but meanings.
From A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
We are constantly invited to be what we are.
Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has
been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed
there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.
It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.
From Walden & Resistance to Civil Government
The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
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.
Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have. As if one were to wear any sort of coat which the tailor might cut out for him, or gradually leaving off palm-leaf hat or cap of woodchuck skin, complain of hard times because he could not afford to buy him a crown! It is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have, which yet all would admit that man could not afford to pay for. Shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes be content with less?
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at; as railroads lead to Boston or New York. We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
What sort of philosophers are we, who know absolutely nothing of the origin and destiny of cats?
From Thoreau Journal 9
All men want, not something to do with, but something to do, or rather something to be.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Men are born to succeed, not to fail.
What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.
From Walden: Or, Life in the Woods
It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the universal favor with which the New Testament is outwardly received, and even the bigotry with which it is defended, there is no hospitality shown to, there is no appreciation of, the order of truth with which it deals.
From Henry David Thoreau: A Week, Walden, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod
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.
Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.
Things do not change; we change.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.
There is an incessant influx of novelty into the world, and yet we tolerate incredible dulness. I need only suggest what kind of sermons are still listened to in the most enlightened countries. There are such words as joy and sorrow, but they are only the burden of a psalm, sung with a nasal twang, while we believe in the ordinary and mean.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Any fool can make a rule
And any fool will mind it.
From Journal #14
When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.
The language of Friendship is not words, but meanings.
From A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
We are constantly invited to be what we are.
Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has
been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed
there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.
It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.
From Walden & Resistance to Civil Government
The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
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.
Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have. As if one were to wear any sort of coat which the tailor might cut out for him, or gradually leaving off palm-leaf hat or cap of woodchuck skin, complain of hard times because he could not afford to buy him a crown! It is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have, which yet all would admit that man could not afford to pay for. Shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes be content with less?
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at; as railroads lead to Boston or New York. We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
What sort of philosophers are we, who know absolutely nothing of the origin and destiny of cats?
From Thoreau Journal 9
All men want, not something to do with, but something to do, or rather something to be.
From Walden or, Life in the Woods
Men are born to succeed, not to fail.
What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.
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