The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way. 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-yourselfopportunityinspirational 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 shadeblessedrain It is the marriage of the soul with nature that makes the intellect fruitful, and gives birth to imagination Henry David Thoreau creativitymarriagenature 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 foundationliteraturedoubt Trees indeed have hearts. Henry David Thoreau hearttree Since most of us spend our lives doing ordinary tasks, the most important thing is to carry them out extraordinarily well. Henry David Thoreau greatnessimportantordinary 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 gardennatureanimal Heroes are often the most ordinary of men. Henry David Thoreau heroordinarymen 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 mayfriendshipneeds 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-yearnaturedream You cannot hear music and noise at the same time. Henry David Thoreau musicnoise Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow. Henry David Thoreau runningtravelmoving To be a philosopher... is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. Henry David Thoreau philosopherproblemphilosophy 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 readingbookart You must not blame me if I do talk to the clouds. Henry David Thoreau eccentricblameclouds I would remind my countrymen that they are to be men first, and Americans only at a late and convenient hour. Henry David Thoreau patriotismmenfirsts It takes two to speak the truth: one to speak, and another to hear. Henry David Thoreau wisdomtruthfunny Things do not change; we change. Henry David Thoreau changeinspirationallife 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 menscienceknowledge 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 cloudsrunningmen
