None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downwards through the mud and slush of opinion and tradition, and pride and prejudice, appearance and delusion, through the alluvium which covers the globe, through poetry and philosophy and religion, through church and state, through Paris and London, through New York and Boston and Concord, till we come to a hard bottom that rocks in place which we can call reality and say, "This is and no mistake.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the need to move beyond societal norms and biases to discover true reality.
Henry David Thoreau's quote encourages individuals to critically examine and navigate through the layers of societal opinions, traditions, and false perceptions that cloud our understanding of reality. By working through these obstacles, one can reach a foundational truth that is solid and undeniable, prompting a clearer perspective on life and existence.
Themes
RealityTruthSocietyPerceptionTraditionOpinion
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of truth, this quote could underline the complexity of understanding reality.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes →Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
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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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