None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of personal integrity and moral conviction in one's actions.
Henry David Thoreau's quote speaks to the idea that each individual has the right and obligation to act according to their own sense of what is right, suggesting that one should prioritize personal conscience over societal expectations or pressures. It highlights the value of self-governance and the moral responsibility one holds to act authentically, aligning one's actions with personal beliefs rather than conformity.
Themes
ObligationIntegrityMoralRightPersonalAction
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal values, this quote can be used to encourage individuals to follow their conscience.
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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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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