None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Fame is not just. She never finely or discriminatingly praises, but coarsely hurrahs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fame lacks true discernment and often offers shallow praise instead of meaningful recognition.
In this quote, Thoreau critiques the nature of fame, suggesting that it does not provide genuine or thoughtful validation of one's efforts or achievements. Instead, fame tends to offer broad, loud approval that lacks depth, indicating a more chaotic and superficial acknowledgment rather than a nuanced appreciation of true merit.
Themes
FameRecognitionSuperficialityPraiseMerit
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the pitfalls of seeking fame over genuine achievement.
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.
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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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