Every man who has ever been earnest to preserve his higher or poetic faculties in the best condition, has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food Henry David Thoreau More Quotes by Henry David Thoreau More Quotes From Henry David Thoreau Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around. Henry David Thoreau believe-in-yourself opportunity inspirational A single gentle rain makes the grass many shades greener. So our prospects brighten on the influx of better thoughts. We should be blessed if we lived in the present always, and took advantage of every accident that befell us. Henry David Thoreau shade blessed rain It is the marriage of the soul with nature that makes the intellect fruitful, and gives birth to imagination Henry David Thoreau creativity marriage nature I have seen how the foundations of the world are laid, and I have not the least doubt that it will stand a good while. Henry David Thoreau foundation literature doubt Trees indeed have hearts. Henry David Thoreau heart tree Since most of us spend our lives doing ordinary tasks, the most important thing is to carry them out extraordinarily well. Henry David Thoreau greatness important ordinary I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn. Henry David Thoreau garden nature animal Heroes are often the most ordinary of men. Henry David Thoreau hero ordinary men We only need to be as true to others as we are to ourselves, that there may be grounds enough for friendship. Henry David Thoreau may friendship needs Each new year is a surprise to us. We find that we had virtually forgotten the note of each bird, and when we hear it again, it is remembered like a dream, reminding us of a previous state of existence. How happens it that the associations it awakens are always pleasing, never saddening, reminiscences of our sanest hours. The voice of nature is always encouraging. Henry David Thoreau new-year nature dream You cannot hear music and noise at the same time. Henry David Thoreau music noise Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow. Henry David Thoreau running travel moving To be a philosopher... is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. Henry David Thoreau philosopher problem philosophy A book should contain pure discoveries, glimpses of terra firma, though by shipwrecked mariners, and not the art of navigation by those who have never been out of sight of land. Henry David Thoreau reading book art You must not blame me if I do talk to the clouds. Henry David Thoreau eccentric blame clouds I would remind my countrymen that they are to be men first, and Americans only at a late and convenient hour. Henry David Thoreau patriotism men firsts It takes two to speak the truth: one to speak, and another to hear. Henry David Thoreau wisdom truth funny Things do not change; we change. Henry David Thoreau change inspirational life I should say that the useful results of science had accumulated, but that there had been no accumulation of knowledge, strictly speaking, for posterity; for knowledge is to be acquired only by a corresponding experience. How can we know what we are told merely? Each man can interpret another's experience only by his own. Henry David Thoreau men science knowledge As the skies appear to a man, so is his mind. Some see only clouds there; some, prodigies and portents; some rarely look up at all; their heads, like the brutes,' are directed toward Earth. Some behold there serenity, purity, beauty ineffable. The world runs to see the panorama, when there is a panorama in the sky which few go to see. Henry David Thoreau clouds running men