None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that belief is essential for everyone, and it highlights a personal, lighthearted approach to what one can believe in.
Henry David Thoreau's quote reflects the idea that belief is an intrinsic part of the human experience, emphasizing that having something to believe in provides direction and purpose in life. Thoreau chooses a whimsical personal belief—going canoeing—as an example, suggesting that beliefs can be simple yet fulfilling, and that they need not be grand or serious to be meaningful.
Themes
BeliefCanoeingLifePurposeLightheartedness
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about finding one's passion, I might use this quote to illustrate the importance of personal belief.
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.
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Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
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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.
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That grand old poem called Winter
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