Advantage Quote by Henry David Thoreau
“If it is asserted that civilization is a real advance in the condition of man,--and I think that it is, though only the wise improve their advantages,--it must be shown that it has produced better dwellings without making them more costly; and the cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Civil Disobedience, 1849
Civilization should improve life without increasing cost; true cost is life spent.
In simple terms: Progress must not raise life’s expense.
Key Takeaway
Evaluate true cost of advancements.
Themes
civilization
cost
life value
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
inquisitive
When to use this quote
- urban planning
- technology
- policy
Key Concepts
economic trade-offs
ethical progress
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines a worthwhile advancement?
- How can we measure life’s true cost?
A Different Perspective
Quantifying life’s cost is subjective.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
