None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
But man's capacities have never been measured; nor are we to judge of what he can do by any precedents, so little have been tried.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the boundless potential of humanity, suggesting that we should not limit our expectations based on past examples.
Henry David Thoreau's quote reflects on the uncharted potential that exists within every individual. It challenges the notion that one's abilities and achievements can be fully understood or constrained by historical precedents. Instead, Thoreau encourages us to recognize the vast possibilities and capacities of human beings, suggesting that many of our capabilities remain untapped and unexplored.
In practice
During a motivational seminar, this quote can inspire attendees to push beyond their perceived limits.
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
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.
That grand old poem called Winter
There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless, even those who practice utmost humility, is boundless.
To be unafraid of the judgement of others is the greatest freedom you can have.
The darkest day in a man's career is that wherein he fancies there is some easier way of getting a dollar than by squarely earning it.
Learn to see - accustoming the eye to calm, to patience, to letting-things-come-to-it; learning to defer judgment, to encircle and encompass the question on all sides.
If you take the approach that βgoodβ is not an accident - that everyone and everything that shows up in your life is there for a reason - youβll begin to see every event (no matter how difficult or challenging) as a chance for enrichment and advancement in your life.
Capitalistic society teaches kids to be No. 1, but true self-esteem doesn't come from money. It doesn't come from winning the Super Bowl.
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