Henry David Thoreau

United States
12 Jul 1817 // 6 May 1862
Writer / Author / Poet

Quotes

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Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something
It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes
Those whom we can love, we can hate; to others we are indifferent
However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are the richest
Staying in the house breeds a sort of insanity always. Every house is, in this sense, a hospital
Friends... They are kind to each other's hopes. They cherish each other's dreams
There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of his life getting his living
Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves
If you have built castles in the air your work does not need to be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them
It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see
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Essays
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