None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
. . . we should be men first, and subjects afterward.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of personal integrity and moral duty over blind obedience to authority.
Henry David Thoreau's quote suggests that individuals should prioritize their roles as ethical and principled beings ('men first') before accepting any imposed roles or duties as subjects to the government or society. It advocates for a moral obligation to act based on one's conscience rather than merely following orders or societal norms.
Themes
IntegrityAuthorityMoralityFreedomConscience
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about civil rights, one might quote this to underscore the importance of individual ethical responsibility.
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.
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
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