--- title: "7 Insignificant Quotes By Henry David Thoreau" description: "7 Insignificant quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Insignificant sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/henry-david-thoreau-20_courses_if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it_860.jpg" --- > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/henry-david-thoreau-20_courses_if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it_860.jpg) > [To one who habitually endeavors to contemplate the true state of things, the political state can hardly be said to have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/to-one-who-habitually-endeavors-to-contemplate-the-true-state-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/henry-david-thoreau-20_contemplate_to-one-who-habitually-endeavors-to-conte_626080.jpg) > [In 1694 a law was passed "that every settler who deserted a town for fear of the Indians should forfeit all his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-1694-a-law-was-passed-that-every-settler-who-deserted-a-town-for/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/henry-david-thoreau-20_camps_in-1694-a-law-was-passed-that-every-sett_991634.jpg) > [I find it so difficult to dispose of the few facts which to me are significant, that I hesitate to burden my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-find-it-so-difficult-to-dispose-of-the-few-facts-which-to-me-are/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83b/henry-david-thoreau-20_attention_i-find-it-so-difficult-to-dispose-of-the_2266710.jpg) > [You know about a person who deeply interests you more than you can be told. A look, a gesture, an act, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/you-know-about-a-person-who-deeply-interests-you-more-than-you-can-be/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/henry-david-thoreau-20_gestures_you-know-about-a-person-who-deeply-inter_2345345.jpg) > [“I find it so difficult to dispose of the few facts which to me are significant, that I hesitate to burden my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-find-it-so-difficult-to-dispose-of-the-few-facts-which-to-me-are-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/henry-david-thoreau-20_insignificant_i-find-it-so-difficult-to-dispose-of-the_2682324.jpg) > [Philosophy, certainly, is some account of truths the fragments and very insignificant parts of which man will practice in this workshop; truths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/philosophy-certainly-is-some-account-of-truths-the-fragments-and-very/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d5/henry-david-thoreau-20_accounts_philosophy-certainly-is-some-account-of_3156339.jpg) ## Other authors on Insignificant ## 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/insignificant/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist", "name": "7 Insignificant Quotes By Henry David Thoreau", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am constantly doing by being what I am.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/henry-david-thoreau-20_courses_if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it_860.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/henry-david-thoreau-20_courses_if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it_860.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/henry-david-thoreau-20_courses_if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it_860.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To one who habitually endeavors to contemplate the true state of things, the political state can hardly be said to have any existence whatever. 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