Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.
John MuirRead
Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed - chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the reckless destruction of trees and nature for profit without regard for their inherent value and vulnerability.
John Muir's quote highlights the tragic reality of environmental destruction, particularly the plight of trees that, unlike animals, cannot escape those who seek to exploit them. It underscores the irresponsibility and folly of humanity in prioritizing short-term gains, such as money or entertainment, over the preservation of natural beauty and life, emphasizing the need for a deeper appreciation and protection of the environment.
Themes
TreesNatureDestructionEnvironmentPreservation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared at an environmental rally to raise awareness about deforestation.
More from John Muir
All quotes →When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.
John MuirRead
As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can".
John MuirRead
The forests of America, however slighted by man, must have been a great delight to God; for they were the best he ever planted. The whole continent was a garden, and from the beginning, it seemed to be favored above all the other wild parks and gardens of the globe.
John MuirRead
From the dust of the earth, from the common elementary fund, the Creator has made Homo sapiens. From the same material he has made every other creature, however noxious and insignificant to us. They are earth-born companions and our fellow mortals.
John MuirRead
...full of God's thoughts, a place of peace and safety amid the most exalted grandeur and enthusiastic action, a new song, a place of beginnings abounding in first lessons of life, mountain building, eternal, invincible, unbreakable order; with sermons in stone, storms, trees, flowers, and animals brimful with humanity.
John MuirRead
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We who are gathered here may represent a particular delete, not of money and power, but of concern for the earth for the earth's sake.
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The stars are far brighter Than gems without measure, The moon is far whiter Than silver in treasure; The fire is more shining On hearth in the gloaming Than gold won by mining, So why go a-roaming? O! Tra-la-la-lally Come back to the Valley.
J. R. R. TolkienRead