Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreauwas an American essayist, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian. A leading transcendentalist, Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Resistance to Civil Government, an argument for disobedience to an unjust state...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAuthor
Date of Birth12 July 1817
CountryUnited States of America
odor corruption goodness
There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.
believe mind habit
I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things, so that all our thoughts shall be tinged with triviality.
wise fear reality
When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of the reality.
awake
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake.
happiness memories past
We are made happy when reason can discover no occasion for it. The memory of some past moments is more persuasive than the experience of present ones. There have been visions of such breadth and brightness that these motes were invisible in their light.
simplicity
Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!
nature long-walks weather
Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.
science space views
The universe is wider than our views of it.
good-life son fundraising
Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.
mean technology serious-things
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.
inspirational life motivational
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.
inspiring time fog
It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?
beautiful nature men
The wilderness is near as well as dear to every man. Even the oldest villages are indebted to the border of wild wood which surrounds them, more than to the gardens of men. There is something indescribably inspiriting and beautiful in the aspect of the forest skirting and occasionally jutting into the midst of new towns, which, like the sand-heaps of fresh fox-burrows, have sprung up in their midst. The very uprightness of the pines and maples asserts the ancient rectitude and vigor of nature. Our lives need the relief of such a background, where the pine flourishes and the jay still screams.
friendship dream apotheosis
The Friend asks no return but that his Friend will religiously accept and wear and not disgrace his apotheosis of him. They cherish each other's hopes. They are kind to each other's dreams.