Henry David Thoreau

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.

What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.

If the fairest features of the landscape are to be named after men, let them be the noblest and worthiest men alone.

It appears to be a law that you cannot have a deep sympathy with both man and nature.

I talk democracy to these men and women. I tell them that they have the vote, and that theirs is the kingdom and the power and the glory. I say to them You are supreme: exercise your power. They say, That’s right: tell us what to do; and I tell them. I say Exercise our vote intelligently by voting for me. And they do. That’s democracy; and a splendid thing it is too for putting the right men in the right place.

The drama’s laws, the drama’s patrons give, for we that live to please, must please to live.

It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

I encourage you to live with life. Be courageous, adventurous. Give us a tomorrow, more than we deserve.

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.

Bravery has no place where it can avail nothing.

Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinions; it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

Nothing is to be preferred before justice.

If you would lift me up you must be on higher ground.

He then learns that in going down into the secrets of his own mind he has descended into the secrets of all minds.

The serpent if it wants to become the dragon must eat itself.

Rarely promise, but, if lawful, constantly perform.

It is at our mother’s knee that we acquire our noblest and truest and highest ideals, but there is seldom any money in them.