We cannot well do without our sins; they are the highway of our virtue. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
There are nine hundred and ninety-nine patrons of virtue to one virtuous man. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
Philanthropy is almost the only virtue which is sufficiently appreciated by mankind. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
We are armed with language adequate to describe each leaf of the filed, but not to describe human character. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
In dreams we see ourselves naked and acting out our real characters, even more clearly than we see others awake. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
What men call social virtues, good fellowship, is commonly but the virtue of pigs in a litter, which lie close together to… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
Show me a man who feels bitterly toward John Brown, and let me hear what noble verse he can repeat. He'll be… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
“Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man's features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrute them.” — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The virtues of a superior man are like the wind; the virtues of a common man are like the grass; the grass,… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
Our vices always lie in the direction of our virtues, and in their best estate are but plausible imitations of the latter. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
A true politeness does not result from any hasty and artificial polishing, it is true, but grows naturally in characters of the… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The strongest wind cannot stagger a Spirit; it is a Spirit's breath. A just man's purpose cannot be split on any Grampus… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The eye which can appreciate the naked and absolute beauty of a scientific truth is far more rare than that whichis attracted… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
“The fate of the country... does not depend on what kind of paper you drop into the ballot-box once a year, but… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The sort of morality which the priests inculcate is a very subtle policy, far finer than the politicians', and the world is… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
There may be an excess of cultivation as well as of anything else, until civilization becomes pathetic. A highly cultivated man,--all whose… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
In our daily intercourse with men, our nobler faculties are dormant and suffered to rust. None will pay us the compliment to… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The humblest observer who goes to the mines sees and says that gold-digging is of the character of a lottery; the gold… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The more supple vagabond, too, is sure to appear on the least rumor of such a gathering, and the next day to… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The broadest and most prevalent error requires the most disinterested virtue to sustain it. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
What stuff is the man made of who is not coexistent in our thought with the purest and sublimest truth? — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
Sincerity is a great but rare virtue, and we pardon to it much complaining, and the betrayal of many weaknesses. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
There are continents and seas in the moral world, to which every man is an isthmus or inlet, yet unexplored by him. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
Pity the man who has a character to support - it is worse than a large family - he is silent poor… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
On every hand we observe a truly wise practice, in education, in morals, and in the arts of life, the embodied wisdom… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The universe seems bankrupt as soon as we begin to discuss the characters of individuals. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
“Philanthropy is almost the only virtue which is sufficiently appreciated by mankind. Nay, it is overrated; and it is our selfishness which… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
Morality is how you go about getting what you want without screwing anybody to get it. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
The outward is only the outside of that which is within. Men are not concealed under habits, but are revealed by them;… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
He who parades his virtues seldom leads the parade. He who puts up with insult invites injury. Health requires this relaxation, this… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
A friend is one who incessantly pays us the compliment of expecting from us all the virtues, and who can appreciate them… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
I got up early and bathed in the pond; that was a religious exercise, and one of the best things which I… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
All the moral laws are readily translated into natural philosophy, for often we have only to restore the primitive meaning of thewords… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
As all curves have reference to their centres or foci, so all beauty of character has reference to the soul, and is… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share Image
If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
“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… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe. — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to… — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life — Henry David Thoreau Copy Share
