None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
My facts shall be falsehoods to the common sense. I would so state facts that they shall be significant, shall be myths or mythologic. Facts which the mind perceived, thoughts which the body thought - with these I deal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that what we consider facts may not align with common understanding, emphasizing the subjective nature of truth.
Henry David Thoreau's quote reflects on the complexity of truth and reality, positing that conventional facts may not resonate with the deeper, sometimes abstract truths that shape human experience. He challenges the reader to reconsider what is perceived as fact, asserting that true significance lies beyond mere empirical evidence, in the realm of thoughts and shared narratives that define our existence.
Themes
TruthPerceptionMythFactsPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on existentialism, one might use this quote to discuss the nature of reality.
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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