Henry David Thoreau
United States
12 Jul 1817 // 6 May 1862
Writer / Author / Poet
12 Jul 1817 // 6 May 1862
Writer / Author / Poet
Quotes
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A man sits as many risks as he runs
Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison
To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, not 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
The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend
My facts shall be falsehoods to the common sense. I would so state facts that they shall be significant, shall be myths or mythologic. Facts which the mind perceived, thoughts which the body thought - with these I deal
Waves of a serene life pass over us from time to time, like flakes of sunlight over the fields in cloudy weather
Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth
What right have I to grieve, who have not ceased to wonder?
The mass never comes up to the standard of its best members, but on the contrary degrades itself to a level with the lowest
All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every second
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays
Essays