None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
What wisdom, what warning can prevail against gladness? There is no law so strong that a little gladness may not transgress.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gladness can overcome any wisdom or warning, proving to be a powerful force.
In this quote, Thoreau suggests that the power of joy and happiness can transcend caution and wisdom. No matter the strength of the law or the seriousness of a warning, a sense of gladness has the ability to defy those constraints and bring a sense of freedom and fulfillment.
Themes
GladnessWisdomHappinessLawTransgress
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a motivational speech to emphasize the importance of joy in overcoming challenges.
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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An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
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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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