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
abroad among companion found lonely man men stay thinking
I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will.
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
men tools
Men have become the tools of their trade.
fools men tools
Men have become the fools of their tools
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 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
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.
aim hit men
In the long run, men only hit what they aim at.
aim fail hit men though
In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim at something high.
good healthy mankind meet men natural poet poetry seems simple wonder
Good poetry seems too simple and natural a thing that when we meet it we wonder that all men are not always poets. Poetry is nothing but healthy speech.
men tools
But lo! men have become the tools of their tools.