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
knowledge learning perception
All perception of truth is the detection of an analogy.
learning light soul
With all your science can you tell me how it is, and when it is, that light comes into the soul?
senior learning years
I have lived some thirty years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors.
learning men judging
But man's capacities have never been measured; nor are we to judge of what he can do by any precedents, so little have been tried.
reading book learning
Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written.
respect learning men
Men have a respect for scholarship and learning greatly out of proportion to the use they commonly serve.
life educational learning
How could youths better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living?
inspirational learning stubborn
It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
life knowledge learning
No human being, past the thoughtless age of boyhood, will wantonly murder any creature which holds its life by the same tenure that he does.
inspirational giving-up learning
It is never too late to give up our prejudices.
teaching learning flow
Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows.
absolutely destiny origin philosophers-and-philosophy sort
What sort of philosophers are we, who know absolutely nothing about the origin and destiny of cats?
along appear arabian disposes face grief grieve ice kindness learn natural nature pleasantly pure river serenity sing soon soul spent sympathy
We feel at first as if some opportunities of kindness and sympathy were lost, but learn afterward that any pure grief is ample recompense for all. That is, if we are faithful; -- for a spent grief is but sympathy with the soul that disposes events, and is as natural as the resin of Arabian trees. -- Only nature has a right to grieve perpetually, for she only is innocent. Soon the ice will melt, and the blackbirds sing along the river which he frequented, as pleasantly as ever. The same everlasting serenity will appear in this face of God, and we will not be sorrowful, if he is not.
attribute character determined falsely family large man men pity poor presume putting silent support together worse
We falsely attribute to men a determined character -- putting together all their yesterdays -- and averaging them -- we presume we know them. Pity the man who has character to support -- it is worse than a large family -- he is the silent poor indeed.