--- title: "7 Excuse Quotes By Henry David Thoreau" description: "7 Excuse quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Excuse sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/henry-david-thoreau-20_becoming_if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming_673326.jpg" --- > [If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming-my-excuse-is-that-i-brag-for/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/henry-david-thoreau-20_becoming_if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming_673326.jpg) > [I do not wish to quarrel with any man or nation. I do not wish to split hairs, to make fine distinctions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or-nation-i-do-not-wish-to/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/henry-david-thoreau-20_conform_i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or_748462.jpg) > [As for fowling, during the last years that I carried a gun my excuse was that I was studying ornithology, and sought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-fowling-during-the-last-years-that-i-carried-a-gun-my-excuse/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/henry-david-thoreau-20_attention_as-for-fowling-during-the-last-years-tha_822102.jpg) > [I have just been through the process of killing a cistudo for the sake of science; but I cannot excuse myself for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-just-been-through-the-process-of-killing-a-cistudo-for-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/henry-david-thoreau-20_action_i-have-just-been-through-the-process-of_1335868.jpg) > [The man of genius knows what he is aiming at; nobody else knows. And he alone knows when something comes between him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-man-of-genius-knows-what-he-is-aiming-at-nobody-else-knows-and-he/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-david-thoreau-20_courses_the-man-of-genius-knows-what-he-is-aimin_2165379.jpg) > [My excuse for not lecturing against the use of tobacco is, that I never chewed it; that is a penalty which reformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/my-excuse-for-not-lecturing-against-the-use-of-tobacco-is-that-i-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/henry-david-thoreau-20_enough_my-excuse-for-not-lecturing-against-the_2535060.jpg) > [Comparatively, we can excuse any offense against the heart, but not against the imagination. The imagination knows--nothing escapes its glance from out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/comparatively-we-can-excuse-any-offense-against-the-heart-but-not/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/henry-david-thoreau-20_breast_comparatively-we-can-excuse-any-offense_2724444.jpg) ## Other authors on Excuse ## 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/excuse/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist", "name": "7 Excuse Quotes By Henry David Thoreau", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming-my-excuse-is-that-i-brag-for/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/henry-david-thoreau-20_becoming_if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming_673326.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/henry-david-thoreau-20_becoming_if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming_673326.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/henry-david-thoreau-20_becoming_if-i-seem-to-boast-more-than-is-becoming_673326.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself.” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do not wish to quarrel with any man or nation. I do not wish to split hairs, to make fine distinctions, or set myself up as better than my neighbors. I seek rather, I may say, even an excuse for conforming to the laws of the land. I am but too ready to conform to them. Indeed, I have reason to suspect myself on this head; and each year, as the tax-gatherer comes round, I find myself disposed to review the acts and position of the general and State governments, and the spirit of the people, to discover a pretext for conformity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or-nation-i-do-not-wish-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/henry-david-thoreau-20_conform_i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or_748462.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/henry-david-thoreau-20_conform_i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or_748462.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/henry-david-thoreau-20_conform_i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or_748462.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do not wish to quarrel with any man or nation. 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It requires so much closer attention to the habits of the birds, that, if for that reason only, I have been willing to omit the gun.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-fowling-during-the-last-years-that-i-carried-a-gun-my-excuse/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/henry-david-thoreau-20_attention_as-for-fowling-during-the-last-years-tha_822102.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/henry-david-thoreau-20_attention_as-for-fowling-during-the-last-years-tha_822102.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/henry-david-thoreau-20_attention_as-for-fowling-during-the-last-years-tha_822102.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As for fowling, during the last years that I carried a gun my excuse was that I was studying ornithology…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have just been through the process of killing a cistudo for the sake of science; but I cannot excuse myself for this murder, and see that such actions are inconsistent with the poetic perception, however they may serve science, and will affect the quality of my observations. I pray that I may walk more innocently and serenely through nature. No reasoning whatever reconciles me to this act. It affects my day injuriously. I have lost some self-respect. 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The imagination knows--nothing escapes its glance from out its eyry--and it controls the breast.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/comparatively-we-can-excuse-any-offense-against-the-heart-but-not/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/henry-david-thoreau-20_breast_comparatively-we-can-excuse-any-offense_2724444.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/henry-david-thoreau-20_breast_comparatively-we-can-excuse-any-offense_2724444.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/henry-david-thoreau-20_breast_comparatively-we-can-excuse-any-offense_2724444.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Comparatively, we can excuse any offense against the heart, but not against the imagination. 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