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.
Henry David ThoreauRead
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
Henry David ThoreauRead
Similar quotes
Do you wish people to think well of you? Don't speak well of yourself.
Blaise PascalRead
We cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself.
Barack ObamaRead
Who said that time heals all wounds? It would be better to say that time heals everything - except wounds. With time, the hurt of separation loses its real limits. With time, the desired body will soon disappear, and if the desiring body has already ceased to exist for the other, then what remains is a wound, disembodied.
Chris MarkerRead
Over the years I have come to believe that life is full of unchosen circumstances, that being human has to do with the evolution of our individual consciousness and with it, responsibilities for choice. Pain and joy both come with life. I believe that how we respond to what happens to us and around us shapes who we become and has to do with the psyche or the soul's growth.
Jean Shinoda BolenRead
Corporate social responsibility is measured in terms of businesses improving conditions for their employees, shareholders, communities, and environment. But moral responsibility goes further, reflecting the need for corporations to address fundamental ethical issues such as inclusion, dignity, and equality.
Klaus SchwabRead
To think well is to serve God in the interior court.
Thomas TraherneRead