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
men righteous surround swamps town woods
A town is saved, not more by the righteous men in it than by the woods and swamps that surround it
effort fall lie men talking
Men will lie on their backs, talking about the fall of man, and never make an effort to get up
bloody commit definition enable innocent men pay shed state taxes-and-taxation thousand violence violent
If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible.
entire fishing knowing lives men purpose
Many men go fishing their entire lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.
fish fishing knowing lives men
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.
central men nearer science truth
Men are probably nearer the central truth in their superstitions than in their science
men tools
Men have become the tools of their trade.
fools men tools
Men have become the fools of their tools
men tools
But lo! men have become the tools of their tools.
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.
born failure men
Men are born to succeed, not to fail.
exaggerate expense life men praise regard
The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind. Why should we exaggerate any one kind at the expense of the others?
men blood style
Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man's features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrute them.
care men
There may be Gods, but they care not what men do