Henry David Thoreau Quotes About Doubt

• I have no doubt that it is part of the destiny of the human race in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Animal, Destiny, Race

  1854 Walden, or Life in the Woods,'Higher Laws'.

• Faith keeps many doubts in her pay. If I could not doubt, I should not believe.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Believe, Doubt, Pay

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.2130, Delphi Classics

• Statesmen and legislators, standing so completely within the institution, never distinctly and nakedly behold it. They speak of moving society, but they have no resting-place without it. They may be men of a certain experience and discrimination, and have no doubt invented ingenious and even useful systems, for which we sincerely thank them; but all their wit and usefulness lie within certain not very wide limits. They are wont to forget that the world is not governed by policy and expediency.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Lying, Moving, Men

  Henry David Thoreau (2014). “Citizen Thoreau: Walden, Civil Disobedience, Life Without Principle, Slavery in Massachusetts, A Plea for Captain John Brown”, p.210, Graphic Arts Books

• I have seen how the foundations of the world are laid, and I have not the least doubt that it will stand a good while.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Doubt, Foundation, Literature

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.137, Delphi Classics

• When the first light dawned on the earth, and the birds awoke, and the brave river was heard rippling confidently seaward, and the nimble early rising wind rustled the oak leaves about our tent, all people, having reinforced their bodies and their souls with sleep, and cast aside doubt and fear, were invited to unattempted adventures.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Nature, Adventure, Sleep

• This was sheer idleness to my fellow-townsmen, no doubt; but if the birds and flowers had tried me by their standard, I should not have been found wanting. A man must find his occasions in himself, it is true. The natural day is very calm, and will hardly reprove his indolence.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Flower, Men, Bird

  Henry David Thoreau (2012). “Walden; Or, Life in the Woods”, p.73, Courier Corporation

• There is no rule more invariable than that we are paid for our suspicions by finding what we suspect.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Finding The One, Doubt, Literature

  Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.116, Penguin

• My days were not days of the week, bearing the stamp of any heathen deity, nor were they minced into hours and fretted by the ticking of a clock; for I lived like the Puri Indians, of whom it is said that "for yesterday, today, and tomorrow they have only one word, and they express the variety of meaning by pointing backward for yesterday forward for tomorrow, and overhead for the passing day." This was sheer idleness to my fellow-townsmen, no doubt; but if the birds and flowers had tried me by their standard, I should not have been found wanting.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Flower, Yesterday, Bird

  Henry David Thoreau (2004). “Walden: 150th Anniversary Illustrated Edition of the American Classic”, p.109, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• No doubt another may also think for me; but it is not therefore desirable that he should do so to the exclusion of my thinking for myself.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Thinking, Doubt, May

  Henry David Thoreau (1882). “Walden”, p.75

• We belong to the community. It is not the tailor alone who is the ninth part of a man; it is as much the preacher, and the merchant, and the farmer. Where is this division of labor to end? and what object does it finally serve? No doubt another may also think for me; but it is not therefore desirable that he should do so to the exclusion of my thinking for myself.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Men, Thinking, Thoughtful

  Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Walden”, p.45, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• They will tell you tough stories of sharks all over the Cape, which I do not presume to doubt utterly,--how they will sometimes upset a boat, or tear it in pieces, to get at the man in it. I can easily believe in the undertow, but I have no doubt that one shark in a dozen years is enough to keep up the reputation of a beach a hundred miles long.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Beach, Believe, Men

  Henry David Thoreau (2017). “Journeys, Adventures & Life in Harmony with Nature – 6 Book Collection (Illustrated): Including Walden, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod, A Yankee in Canada & Canoeing in the Wilderness - North American Highlands Series”, p.806, e-artnow

• One may almost doubt if the wisest man has learned anything of absolute value by living.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Life, Wisdom, Men

  Henry David Thoreau (1882). “Walden”, p.16

• At present the globe goes with a shattered constitution in its orbit.... No doubt the simple powers of nature, properly directed by man, would make it healthy and a paradise; as the laws of man's own constitution but wait to be obeyed, to restore him to health and happiness.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Health, Simple, Men

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Selected Essays of Henry David Thoreau”, p.28, Simon and Schuster

• It is true, I never assisted the sun materially in his rising, but doubt not, it was of the last importance only to be present at it.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Morning, Doubt, Rising

  'Walden' (1854) 'Economy'

• No doubt Carlyle has a propensity to exaggerate the heroic in history, that is, he creates you an ideal hero rather than another thing.... Yet what were history if he did not exaggerate it? How comes it that history never has to wait for facts, but for a man to write it? The ages may go on forgetting the facts never so long, he can remember two for every one forgotten. The musty records of history, like the catacombs, contain the perishable remains, but only in the breast of genius are embalmed the souls of heroes.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Hero, Writing, Men

• There is reason in the distinction of civil and uncivil. The manners are sometimes so rough a rind that we doubt whether they cover any core or sap-wood at all.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Doubt, Sap, Woods

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Essential Thoreau”, p.584, Simon and Schuster

• Do not entertain doubts if they are not agreeable to you.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Doubt, Ifs

  Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.363, Penguin

• The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Truth, Knowledge, Reality

  Henry David Thoreau (2014). “Citizen Thoreau: Walden, Civil Disobedience, Life Without Principle, Slavery in Massachusetts, A Plea for Captain John Brown”, p.132, Graphic Arts Books

• If one hesitates in his path, let him not proceed. Let him respect his doubts, for doubts, too, may have some divinity in them.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Confidence, Respect, Doubt

  Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.359, Penguin

• If one doubts whether Grecian valor and patriotism are not a fiction of the poets, he may go to Athens and see still upon the walls of the temple of Minerva the circular marks made by the shields taken from the enemy in the Persian war, which were suspended there. We have not far to seek for living and unquestionable evidence. The very dust takes shape and confirms some story which we had read.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Wall, War, Taken

  Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.178, Xist Publishing

• So easy is it, though many housekeepers doubt it, to establish new and better customs in the place of the old.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Change, Doubt, Tradition

  Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Walden and Civil Disobedience”, p.103, Xist Publishing

• There is no doubt that the loftiest written wisdom is either rhymed or in some way musically measured,--is, in form as well as substance, poetry; and a volume which should contain the condensed wisdom of mankind need not have one rhythmless line.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Poetry, Doubt, Needs

  Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.64, Xist Publishing

• I have no doubt that they lived pretty much the same sort of life in the Homeric age, for men have always thought more of eating than of fighting; then, as now, their minds ran chiefly on the "hot bread and sweet cakes;" and the fur and lumber trade is an old story to Asia and Europe.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Sweet, War, Fighting

  Henry David Thoreau (2014). “The Maine Woods”, p.57, Graphic Arts Books

• Many, no doubt, are well disposed, but sluggish by constitution and habit, and they cannot conceive of a man who is actuated by higher motives than they are. Accordingly they pronounce this man insane, for they know that they could never act as he does, as long as they are themselves.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Men, Long, Doubt

  Henry David Thoreau (2014). “Citizen Thoreau: Walden, Civil Disobedience, Life Without Principle, Slavery in Massachusetts, A Plea for Captain John Brown”, p.244, Graphic Arts Books

• After all the field of battle possesses many advantages over the drawing-room. There at least is no room for pretension or excessive ceremony, no shaking of hands or rubbing of noses, which make one doubt your sincerity, but hearty as well as hard hand-play. It at least exhibits one of the faces of humanity, the former only a mask.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Drawing, Hands, Play

  Henry David Thoreau, Odell Shepard (1961). “The Heart of Thoreau's Journals”, p.5, Courier Corporation

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