None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
No human being, past the thoughtless age of boyhood, will wantonly murder any creature which holds its life by the same tenure that he does.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and the moral implication of taking a life.
Henry David Thoreau suggests that as individuals grow and mature, they develop a sense of empathy and moral responsibility that prevents them from harming others indiscriminately. Recognizing that all beings share the experience of life leads to a greater respect for existence and an understanding that to take a life is to violate a common bond among living creatures.
Themes
EmpathyLifeMoralityInterconnectednessHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on environmental ethics, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of respecting all forms of life.
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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