There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me.
Interpretation
This quote expresses a profound appreciation for the beauty and intricacy of nature, emphasizing that every small detail is fascinating.
Thomas Jefferson's quote reflects his deep admiration for nature, suggesting that even the simplest elements, like a sprig of grass, have inherent value and interest. It invites us to view the world with curiosity and appreciation, recognizing that there is beauty in every aspect of the natural environment, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
In practice
In a speech about environmental awareness, you could use this quote to encourage others to appreciate the small details of nature.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you wantβoh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!
Our atmosphere can't tell the difference between emissions from an Asian factory, the exhaust from a North American SUV, or deforestation in South America or Africa.
We can't negotiate the facts. We can't negotiate the truth about the situation. And for those who are too fearful to finish, it can be done and must be done. Make sure we succeed, . . . It is wrong for this generation to destroy the habitability of our planet and ruin the prospects of every future generation.
I've had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. I wish I could take people along to see what I see, and to know what I know.
I'll tell you how the sun rose, a ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran. The hills untied their bonnets, The bobolinks begun. Then I said softly to myself, "That must have been the sun!
I've always been more interested in organisms that can move on their own than in stationary plants. But when I canoe or hike along the edge of lakes or oceans and see trees that seem to be growing out of rock faces, I am blown away. How do they do it?
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