None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Success should not be pursued at the expense of one's individuality and personal rhythm.
In this quote, Thoreau reflects on the nature of success and the societal pressures to conform to a particular standard of achievement. He suggests that individuals may operate at different paces and that one should not rush into pursuits simply to align with others, as true fulfillment lies in listening to one's own unique path and perspective.
Themes
SuccessIndividualityPaceHappinessAchievement
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about the importance of following one's own dreams.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes →Through 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
Similar quotes
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle
Sun TzuRead
When I come upon a man who has a gleaming, empty, clear desktop, I am dealing with a fellow who is so far removed from the realities of his business that someone else is running it for him.
Harold GeneenRead
Age only matters when one is aging. Now that I have arrived at a great age, I might as well be twenty.
Pablo PicassoRead
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
Leonard CohenRead
Compassion is not feeling sorry for others. It's not soft. It requires an intellectual effort.
Karen ArmstrongRead
Alas," said Aslan, shaking his head. "It will. Things always work according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it.
C. S. LewisRead