None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the true value of an item is measured by the life energy or time one must give up to obtain it.
Henry David Thoreau emphasizes that every possession has a cost that extends beyond mere money; it involves sacrificing aspects of our life, such as time and vitality, to acquire it. This reflection urges individuals to consider the deeper implications of their desires and material accumulations, driving home the point that true value lies in the life we exchange for the things we own.
Themes
ValueLifeCostExchangeMeaning
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about minimalism, this quote can highlight the importance of valuing time over possessions.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes βThrough want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
Henry David ThoreauRead
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
Henry David ThoreauRead
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
Henry David ThoreauRead
That grand old poem called Winter
Henry David ThoreauRead
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