--- title: "7 Curious Quotes By Henry David Thoreau" description: "7 Curious quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Curious sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/henry-david-thoreau-20_curious_if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-t_34834.jpg" --- > [If there is any hell more unprincipled than our rulers, and we, the ruled, I feel curious to see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-than-our-rulers-and-we-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/henry-david-thoreau-20_curious_if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-t_34834.jpg) > [As I walked in the woods to see the birds and squirrels, so I walked in the village to see the men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-i-walked-in-the-woods-to-see-the-birds-and-squirrels-so-i-walked/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/henry-david-thoreau-20_bird_as-i-walked-in-the-woods-to-see-the-bird_186970.jpg) > [This curious world we inhabit is more wonderful than convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-curious-world-we-inhabit-is-more-wonderful-than-convenient-more/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/henry-david-thoreau-20_beautiful_this-curious-world-we-inhabit-is-more-wo_531513.jpg) > [There may be something petty in a refined taste; it easily degenerates into effeminacy. It does not consider the broadest use. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-may-be-something-petty-in-a-refined-taste-it-easily-degenerates/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/henry-david-thoreau-20_curious_there-may-be-something-petty-in-a-refine_896133.jpg) > [While almost all men feel an attraction drawing them to society, few are attracted strongly to Nature. In their reaction to Naturemen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-almost-all-men-feel-an-attraction-drawing-them-to-society-few/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/358/henry-david-thoreau-20_animal_while-almost-all-men-feel-an-attraction_1288935.jpg) > [The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-heroic-books-even-if-printed-in-the-character-of-our-mother/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/henry-david-thoreau-20_antiquity_the-heroic-books-even-if-printed-in-the_1790440.jpg) > [When I consider how, after sunset, the stars come out gradually in troops from behind the hills and woods, I confess that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-i-consider-how-after-sunset-the-stars-come-out-gradually-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/henry-david-thoreau-20_behinds_when-i-consider-how-after-sunset-the-sta_2403872.jpg) ## Other authors on Curious ## 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/curious/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist", "name": "7 Curious Quotes By Henry David Thoreau", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is any hell more unprincipled than our rulers, and we, the ruled, I feel curious to see it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-than-our-rulers-and-we-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/henry-david-thoreau-20_curious_if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-t_34834.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/henry-david-thoreau-20_curious_if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-t_34834.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b83/henry-david-thoreau-20_curious_if-there-is-any-hell-more-unprincipled-t_34834.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there is any hell more unprincipled than our rulers, and we, the ruled, I feel curious to see it.” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As I walked in the woods to see the birds and squirrels, so I walked in the village to see the men and boys; instead of the wind among the pines I heard the carts rattle. 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