Henry David Thoreau

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.

What is peculiar in the life of a man consists not in his obedience, but his opposition, to his instincts. In one direction or another he strives to live a supernatural life.

It takes two to speak truth – one to speak, and another to hear.

To say that a man is your Friend, means commonly no more than this, that he is not your enemy. Most contemplate only what would be the accidental and trifling advantages of Friendship, as that the Friend can assist in time of need by his substance, or his influence, or his counsel. Even the utmost goodwill and harmony and practical kindness are not sufficient for Friendship, for Friends do not live in harmony merely, as some say, but in melody.

Faith keeps many doubts in her pay. If I could not doubt, I should not believe.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down.

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults.

It takes two to speak truth – one to speak, and another to hear.

The Chinese said of themselves several thousand years ago: China is a sea that salts all the waters that flow into it. Theres another Chinese saying about their country which is much more modernit dates only from the fourth century. This is the saying: The tail of China is large and will not be wagged. I like that one. The British democracy approves the principles of movable party heads and unwaggable national tails. It is due to the working of these important forces that I have the honour to be addressing you at this moment.

What do we call love, hate, charity, revenge, humanity, forgiveness? Different results of the master impulse, the necessity of securing one’s self-approval.

The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time.

Tomorrow is an old deceiver, and his cheat never grows stale.

You must not suppose, because I am a man of letters, that I never tried to earn an honest living.

We are happier in many ways when we are old than when we were young. The young sow wild oats. The old grow sage.

The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers.

To him whose elastic and vigorous thought keeps pace with the sun, the day is a perpetual morning.

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

Patience – the gift of being able to see past the emotion.

See, I think you live on earth a certain number of times until you finish what it is that you were meant to do here. And then you go on. I don’t think I’ll be back here. I think I’m done.