Thoreau Quote by Albert Goldbarth
““you don’t understand the protoknowledge we’re born with, coded into our cells: soon soon soon enough we die. Even before we’ve seen the breast, we’re crying to the world that we want; and the world doles out its milkiness in doses. We want, we want, we want, and if we don’t then that’s what we want: abstemiousness is only hunger translated into another language. Yes there’s pain and and heartsore rue and suffering, but there’s no such thing as “anti-pleasure”: it’s pleaure that the anchorite takes in his bleak cave and Thoreau in his bean rows and cabin. For Thoreau, the Zen is: wanting less is wanting more. Of less.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Protoblood” (hypothetical), 2010
Human existence is driven by insatiable desire, yet true fulfillment comes from wanting less, revealing a paradox of pleasure and suffering.
In simple terms: Desire is endless; less wanting can be more.
Key Takeaway
Embrace simplicity to find deeper joy.
Themes
desire
pleasure
paradox
simplicity
suffering
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
poetic
inspirational
When to use this quote
- consumer culture
- personal fulfillment
- spiritual practice
- mental health
- creative writing
Key Concepts
existentialism
stoicism
nihilism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “wanting less” mean to you?
- Can desire be both pain and fuel?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize asceticism.
