100 Top & Most Popular Thoreau Quotes

Thoreau Quotes

About Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay “Civil Disobedience”, an argument for disobedience to an unjust state. 
Born: 12 July 1817, Concord, Massachusetts, United States
Died: 6 May 1862, Concord, Massachusetts, United States

100 Top Quotes by Thoreau in English

  1. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
  2. “Our life is frittered away by detail…simplify, simplify.”
  3. “As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”
  4. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
  5. “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
  6. “Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”
  7. “Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”
  8. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
  9. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
  10. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
  1. “It is not enough to be busy…The question is: what are we busy about?”
  2. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
  3. “It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”
  4. “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.”
  5. “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.”
  6. “The only way to tell the truth is to speak with kindness. Only the words of a loving man can be heard.”
  7. “Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
  8. “Be yourself, not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.”
  9. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”
  10. “Men have become the tools of their tools.”
  11. “Our life is like a path in the woods, and we can never know in advance what lies ahead.”
  12. “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”
  13. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
  14. “The universe is wider than our views of it.”
  15. “Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”
  16. “Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
  17. “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.”
  18. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
  19. “Dreams are the touchstones of our character.”
  20. “The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.”
  21. “If you want to know your past, look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future, look into your present actions.”
  22. “Success comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
  23. “The world is but a canvas to our imagination.”
  24. “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.”
  25. “Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.”
  26. “Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”
  27. “The only wealth is life.”
  28. “It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?”
  29. “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.”
  30. “As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”
  31. “Things do not change; we change.”
  32. “All good things are wild and free.”
  33. “The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.”
  34. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
  1. “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
  2. “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million, count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.”
  3. “I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
  4. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
  5. “To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor 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.”
  6. “If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see.”
  7. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
  8. “Things do not change; we change.”
  9. “Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.”
  10. “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”
  11. “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
  12. “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”
  13. “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”
  14. “It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.”
  15. “Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
  16. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
  17. “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”
  18. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
  19. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
  20. “Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”
  21. “The sun is but a morning star.”
  22. “If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see.”
  23. “The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.”
  24. “Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. So aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.”
  25. “Dreams are the touchstones of our character.”
  26. “All good things are wild and free.”
  27. “Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”
  28. “Society is commonly too cheap. We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are.”
  29. “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.”
  1. “I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born.”
  2. “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”
  3. “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
  4. “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”
  5. “I have a great deal of company in the house, especially in the morning when nobody calls.”
  6. “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
  7. “In wilderness is the preservation of the world.”
  8. “A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your success!”
  9. “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.”
  10. “The heart is forever inexperienced.”
  11. “I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money’s sake.”
  12. “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”
  13. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when you bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen.”
  14. “The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.”
  15. “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.”
  16. “We are not born rich or poor, but with infinite wealth at our disposal. However, this wealth is locked away in the vault of our hearts and minds, and the key to unlocking it is the pursuit of knowledge.”
  17. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
  18. “Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves, dispel the clouds which hang over our brows, and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor, but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world.”
  19. “All men want, not something to do with, but something to do, or rather something to be.”
  20. “If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.”
  21. “The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.”
  22. “Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand.”
  23. “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”
  24. “I am a part of everything that I have read.”
  25. “The universe is wider than our views of it.”
  26. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
  27. “It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers, any more than it is to make sheep ferocious.”

FAQs:

Who was Henry David Thoreau?

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American essayist, poet, and philosopher. He is best known for his book “Walden” and his essay “Civil Disobedience.”

What is “Walden” about?

“Walden” is Thoreau’s account of his two-year experiment in living a simple, self-sufficient life in a small cabin on the shores of Walden Pond in Massachusetts. The book explores themes of nature, solitude, and the search for meaning in life.

What is “Civil Disobedience” about?

“Civil Disobedience” is Thoreau’s essay on the duty of the individual to resist unjust laws and government policies. It has been influential in the development of nonviolent resistance movements around the world.

Was Thoreau involved in any social or political movements?

Yes, Thoreau was involved in the abolitionist movement, and he was a vocal critic of slavery and the Fugitive Slave Law. He was also an advocate for environmentalism and the conservation of natural resources.

What was Thoreau’s writing style?

Thoreau’s writing style was characterized by its clarity, precision, and attention to detail. He was also known for his use of metaphor and his love of nature.

Did Thoreau ever marry or have children?

No, Thoreau never married or had children.

Was Thoreau a recluse?

Thoreau was not a recluse, but he did value solitude and spent much of his time in nature. He was also active in his community and participated in social and political events.

Did Thoreau have any famous friends or acquaintances?

Thoreau was friends with several notable writers and thinkers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Walt Whitman.

Did Thoreau travel outside of the United States?

No, Thoreau never traveled outside of the United States.

What is Thoreau’s legacy?

Thoreau’s legacy is his influence on literature, environmentalism, and social and political thought. His ideas about the importance of simplicity, self-reliance, and living in harmony with nature continue to resonate with readers today.