Henry David Thoreau Quotes About Mankind

• Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Life, Positive, Simple

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Essential Thoreau”, p.11, Simon and Schuster

• Philanthropy is almost the only virtue which is sufficiently appreciated by mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Life, Charity, Appreciated

  Henry David Thoreau (1882). “Walden”, p.121

• Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and the best, stand naturally and rightfully on the shelves of every cottage. They have no cause of their own to plead, but while they enlighten and sustain the reader his common sense will not refuse them. Their authors are a natural and irresistible aristocracy in every society, and, more than kings or emperors, exert an influence on mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Kings, Book, Common Sense

  Henry David Thoreau (2016). “The Illustrated Walden: Thoreau Bicentennial Edition”, p.107, Penguin

• The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Wisdom, Country, Men

  'Walden' (1854) 'Economy'

• It seems to me that the god that is commonly worshipped in civilized countries is not at all divine, though he bears a divine name, but is the overwhelming authority and respectability of mankind combined. Men reverence one another, not yet God.

  Henry David Thoreau

  God, Country, Men

  1849 A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers,'Sunday'.

• All that man has to say or do that can possibly concern mankind is in some shape or other to tell the story of his love-to sing, and, if he is fortunate and keeps alive, he will be forever in love.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Love, Men, Forever

  Henry David Thoreau, Odell Shepard (1961). “The Heart of Thoreau's Journals”, p.130, Courier Corporation

• The science of Humboldt is one thing, poetry is another thing. The poet to-day, notwithstanding all the discoveries of science, and the accumulated learning of mankind, enjoys no advantage over Homer.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Science, Discovery, Poetry

  Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.405, Penguin

• What a glorious time they must have in that wilderness, far from mankind and election day!

  Henry David Thoreau

  Time, Politics, Election

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.630, Delphi Classics

• I did not know that mankind was suffering for want of gold.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Suffering, Gold, Want

  Henry David Thoreau (1992). “The Essays of Henry David Thoreau”, p.79, Rowman & Littlefield

• A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Games, Despair, Amusement

  Henry David Thoreau (1882). “Walden”, p.15

• It would be worthy of the age to print together the collected Scriptures or Sacred Writings of the several nations, the Chinese, the Hindoos, the Persians, the Hebrews, and others, as the Scripture of mankind. The New Testament is still, perhaps, too much on the lips and in the hearts of men to be called a Scripture in this sense. Such a juxtaposition and comparison might help to liberalize the faith of men.... This would be the Bible, or Book of Books, which let the missionaries carry to the uttermost parts of the earth.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Book, Writing, Heart

  Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.101, Xist Publishing

• As we looked up in silence to those distant lights, we were reminded that it was a rare imagination which first taught that the stars are worlds, and had conferred a great benefit on mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Stars, Light, Imagination

  Henry David Thoreau (1873). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.412

• The works of great poets have never been read by mankind, for only great poets can read them.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Poetry, Poet, Mankind

• What is called eloquence in the forum is commonly found to be rhetoric in the study. The orator yields to the inspiration of a transient occasion, and speaks to the mob before him, to those who can hear him; but the writer, whose more equable life is his occasion, and who would be distracted by the event and the crowd which inspire the orator, speaks to the intellect and heart of mankind, to all in any age who can understand him.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Inspiration, Heart, Yield

  Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Walden”, p.88, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• Every tree sends its fibres forth in search of the Wild. The cities import it at any price. Men plow and sail for it. From the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Men, Cities, Tree

  Henry David Thoreau (2011). “The Natural History Essays”, p.112, Gibbs Smith

• I must walk toward Oregon, and not toward Europe. And that way the nation is moving, and I may say that mankind progress from east to west. We go eastward to realize history and study the works of art and literature, retracing the steps of the race; we go westward as into the future, with a spirit of enterprise and adventure.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Art, Moving, Adventure

  Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Walking: Top Essays”, p.7, 谷月社

• Christ was a sublime actor on the stage of the world. He knew what he was thinking of when he said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." I draw near to him at such a time. Yet he taught mankind but imperfectly how to live; his thoughts were all directed toward another world. There is another kind of success than his. Even here we have a sort of living to get, and must buffet it somewhat longer. There are various tough problems yet to solve, and we must shift to live, betwixt spirit and matter, such a human life as we can.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Life, Jesus, Thinking

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Essential Thoreau”, p.491, Simon and Schuster

• The philanthropist too often surrounds mankind with the remembrance of his own cast- off griefs as an atmosphere, and calls it sympathy. We should impart our courage, and not our despair, our health and ease, and not our disease, and take care that this does not spread by contagion.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Sympathy, Grief, Bravery

  Henry David Thoreau (1882). “Walden”, p.122

• It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Relaxation, Would Be, Leisure

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.1156, Delphi Classics

• The Man of Genius may at the same time be, indeed is commonly, an Artist, but the two are not to be confounded. The Man of Genius,referred to mankind, is an originator, an inspired or demonic man, who produces a perfect work in obedience to laws yet unexplored. The artist is he who detects and applies the law from observation of the works of Genius, whether of man or nature. The Artisan is he who merely applies the rules which others have detected. There has been no man of pure Genius, as there has been none wholly destitute of Genius.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Men, Artist, Law

  Henry David Thoreau (1975). “Early Essays and Miscellanies”, p.328, Princeton University Press

• To speak or do anything that shall concern mankind, one must speak and act as if well, or from that grain of health which he has left.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Health, Reform, Speak

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.1692, Delphi Classics

• Nothing more strikingly betrays the credulity of mankind than medicine. Quackery is a thing universal, and universally successful. In this case it becomes literally true that no imposition is too great for the credulity of men.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Successful, Men, Medicine

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.197, Delphi Classics

• It is the art of mankind to polish the world, and every one who works is scrubbing in some part.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Art, Ambition, World

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.1771, Delphi Classics

• The nonchalance and dolce-far-niente air of nature and society hint at infinite periods in the progress of mankind.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Nature, Air, Progress

  Henry David Thoreau (1873). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.137

• 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

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