None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that even good actions can be corrupted or perceived negatively when mixed with insincerity or ulterior motives.
Henry David Thoreau's quote reflects on the nature of moral integrity. It implies that when goodness is compromised by ulterior motives or personal gains, it loses its purity and can lead to a more negative perception than outright wrongdoing. This serves as a cautionary reminder about the importance of authenticity in our intentions and actions.
Themes
GoodnessMoralityAuthenticityIntegrityUlterior Motives
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of genuine good deeds.
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
The union of the mind and intuition which brings about illumination, and the development which the Sufis seek, is based upon love.
Idries ShahRead
To the rulers of the state then, if to any, it belongs of right to use falsehood, to deceive either enemies or their own citizens, for the good of the state: and no one else may meddle with this privilege.
PlatoRead
We always look at the 'Fortune 500,' and we say, men in power, but we don't look at the glass cellar as opposed to the glass ceiling and say, men also are the homeless, men are also the ones that are the garbage collectors. Men are also the ones dying in construction sites that aren't properly supervised for safety hazards.
Warren FarrellRead
A man walks on through life - with the external call ringing in his ears but with no response stirring in his heart, and then suddenly, without any warning, the Spirit taps him on the shoulder. What happens? He turns 'round. The word 'repentance' means 'turning 'round.' He repents and believes and is saved.
Peter MarshallRead
Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man
John F. KennedyRead
Poker isn't the roulette wheel of pure chance, nor is it the chess of mathematical elegance and perfect information. Apart from the underlying mathematics, poker depends on the nuanced reading of human intention, interactions, and deceptions.
Maria KonnikovaRead