None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of his life getting his living.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focusing solely on making a living can lead to wasted life and missed opportunities for fulfillment.
In this quote, Henry David Thoreau suggests that a life spent primarily on the pursuit of financial security can be a tragic mistake. He emphasizes that if one dedicates most of their existence to merely earning a living, they may overlook the true essence of life, which lies in experiences, passions, and personal growth, ultimately leading to an unfulfilled and regretful existence.
Themes
LifeLivingFulfillmentPurposeTime
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to inspire students to seek fulfillment beyond just a paycheck.
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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Life plays the same lovely and agonizing joke on all of us.
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