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Say what you have to say, not what you ought. Any truth is better than make-believe.
Henry David Thoreau
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Express your true feelings and thoughts honestly, as authenticity is more valuable than deception.

This quote by Henry David Thoreau emphasizes the importance of honesty and authenticity in communication. Rather than conforming to societal expectations or expressing falsehoods, one should boldly share their genuine thoughts and emotions, as truth provides a richer, more meaningful existence compared to living in a fabricated reality.

Themes

TruthHonestyCommunicationAuthenticityWisdom

In practice

Example use cases

During a motivational speech about personal growth.

More from Henry David Thoreau

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
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Through 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.
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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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