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Society is commonly too cheap. We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are.
Henry David Thoreau
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Thoreau reflects on the superficiality of social interactions and the need for deeper connections.

In this quote, Thoreau critiques the shallow nature of social gatherings, suggesting that frequent meetings among individuals often lack substance and depth. He uses the metaphor of sharing 'old musty cheese' to illustrate how repetitive interactions fail to foster growth or new understanding, indicating that meaningful relationships require time and diversity of experience to develop truly valuable connections.

Themes

SocialRelationshipsValueConnectionDepth

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about modern friendships, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for deeper connections.

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