--- title: "7 Biographies Quotes By Henry David Thoreau" description: "7 Biographies quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Biographies sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books_863794.jpg" --- > [We do not learn much from learned books, but from true, sincere, human books, from frank and honest biographies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books-but-from-true-sincere-human/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books_863794.jpg) > [Biography, too, is liable to the same objection; it should be autobiography. Let us not, as the Germans advise, endeavor to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/biography-too-is-liable-to-the-same-objection-it-should-be/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/henry-david-thoreau-20_advise_biography-too-is-liable-to-the-same-obje_901335.jpg) > [The fact which interests us most is the life of the naturalist. The purest science is still biographical. Nothing will dignify and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-fact-which-interests-us-most-is-the-life-of-the-naturalist-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/henry-david-thoreau-20_accounts_the-fact-which-interests-us-most-is-the_1256177.jpg) > [To some extent, mythology is only the most ancient history and biography. So far from being false or fabulous in the common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/to-some-extent-mythology-is-only-the-most-ancient-history-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/henry-david-thoreau-20_ancient_to-some-extent-mythology-is-only-the-mos_1287907.jpg) > [In how few words, for instance, the Greeks would have told the story of Abelard and Heloise, making but a sentence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-how-few-words-for-instance-the-greeks-would-have-told-the-story-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e86/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_in-how-few-words-for-instance-the-greeks_1779177.jpg) > [There are two classes of authors: the one write the history of their times, the other their biography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-are-two-classes-of-authors-the-one-write-the-history-of-their/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/henry-david-thoreau-20_authors_there-are-two-classes-of-authors-the-one_2880888.jpg) > [Let no one think that I do not love the old ministers. They were, probably, the best men in their generation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-no-one-think-that-i-do-not-love-the-old-ministers-they-were/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_let-no-one-think-that-i-do-not-love-the_2926069.jpg) ## Other authors on Biographies ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biographies/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist", "name": "7 Biographies Quotes By Henry David Thoreau", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We do not learn much from learned books, but from true, sincere, human books, from frank and honest biographies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books-but-from-true-sincere-human/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books_863794.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books_863794.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/henry-david-thoreau-20_biographies_we-do-not-learn-much-from-learned-books_863794.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We do not learn much from learned books, but from true, sincere, human books, from frank and honest…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Biography, too, is liable to the same objection; it should be autobiography. 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Either time or rare wisdom writes it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/to-some-extent-mythology-is-only-the-most-ancient-history-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/henry-david-thoreau-20_ancient_to-some-extent-mythology-is-only-the-mos_1287907.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/henry-david-thoreau-20_ancient_to-some-extent-mythology-is-only-the-mos_1287907.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/henry-david-thoreau-20_ancient_to-some-extent-mythology-is-only-the-mos_1287907.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To some extent, mythology is only the most ancient history and biography. 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They were, probably, the best men in their generation, and they deserve that their biographies should fill the pages of the town histories. 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