--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man may acquire a taste for wine or…" description: "\"A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose his love for water, but should we not pity him.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg" --- # A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose… ![“A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose his love for water, but should we not pity him.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg) > “A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose his love for water, but should we not pity him.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive indulgence can replace simple pleasures, prompting empathy for those who lose balance. **In simple terms:** Overindulgence may replace simple joys. Key Takeaway Practice moderation, cherish simplicity. Themes moderation empathy balance Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - dietary choices - social drinking - health counseling - mindful living Key Concepts addiction simplicity compassion Questions to Reflect On - What simple pleasure have you neglected? - How can you support someone in excess? A Different Perspective People may resist change despite harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [Anything you have to acquire a taste for was not meant to be eaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/anything-you-have-to-acquire-a-taste-for-was-not-meant-to-be-eaten/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [The nature of power is such that even those who have not sought it, but have had it forced upon them, tend to acquire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-nature-of-power-is-such-that-even-those-who-have-not-sought-it/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Paper is cheap, and authors need not now erase one book before they write another. Instead of cultivating the earth for wheat andpotatoes, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/paper-is-cheap-and-authors-need-not-now-erase-one-book-before-they/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“I always enjoy French, yet Australian are so fresh, but if you talk about white I prefer German. THAT'S right! Oh, they are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-claudia-antunes/i-always-enjoy-french-yet-australian-are-so-fresh-but-if-you-talk/) [Ana Claudia Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-claudia-antunes/) > [“Breathe the air, taste the wine, kiss the girls, and always remember that the tales of another are never as wondrous as your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-sullivan/breathe-the-air-taste-the-wine-kiss-the-girls-and-always-remember/) [Michael J. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-sullivan/) > [“I still remember that day; you- drinking wine with your lips closed, kissing the bottle, I- watching more wine oozing out than you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arka-datta/i-still-remember-that-day-you-drinking-wine-with-your-lips-closed/) [Arka Datta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arka-datta/) > [There are no standards of taste in wine... Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-are-no-standards-of-taste-in-wine-each-man-s-own-taste-is-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The taste of the wine (1) had a sweet taste (2) when I took a taste (3), which was too strong for my taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-m-shepherd/the-taste-of-the-wine-1-had-a-sweet-taste-2-when-i-took-a-taste-3/) Gordon M Shepherd > [I never taste the wine first in restaurants, I just ask the waiter to pour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigella-lawson/i-never-taste-the-wine-first-in-restaurants-i-just-ask-the-waiter-to/) [Nigella Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigella-lawson/) > [As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-i-ate-the-oysters-with-their-strong-taste-of-the-sea-and-their/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“I thought this vintage would suit you. What it lacks in subtlety . . .” He turned back, offering her a glass. “It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/i-thought-this-vintage-would-suit-you-what-it-lacks-in-subtlety-he/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [Who knows how to taste wine never drinks wine again, but tastes secrets instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/who-knows-how-to-taste-wine-never-drinks-wine-again-but-tastes/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [“Neuroenology explains how the fluid mechanics of the wine in your mouth and the patterns of your breathing activate your sensory and motor pathways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-m-shepherd/neuroenology-explains-how-the-fluid-mechanics-of-the-wine-in-your/) Gordon M Shepherd > [“For you, there is underage, and then, there is underage. I believe a taste of wine is perfectly acceptable, but please stick to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/for-you-there-is-underage-and-then-there-is-underage-i-believe-a/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [“It is not often," said the second of the three, addressing Monsieur Defarge, "that many of these miserable beasts know the taste of wine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-is-not-often-said-the-second-of-the-three-addressing-monsieur/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## 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/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Brandy quotes > [“When he looked at Brandy, he saw the desperation in her eyes. He felt like hugging her and telling her what a great sister…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-clayton-goldner/when-he-looked-at-brandy-he-saw-the-desperation-in-her-eyes-he-felt/) Susan Clayton-Goldner > [Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws. Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-about-a-dog-s-paws-whenever-her/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [We all drew on the comfort which is given out by the major works of Mozart, which is as real and material as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/we-all-drew-on-the-comfort-which-is-given-out-by-the-major-works-of/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [ I don't know that Brandy \[Burre\] would ever categorize herself as being trapped, but I felt like I saw her being trapped. When she's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-don-t-know-that-brandy-burre-would-ever-categorize-herself-as-being/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“Nordstrom.” “Would you care for some tea or a brandy?” “No … Nicole, I know”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/nordstrom-would-you-care-for-some-tea-or-a-brandy-no-nicole-i-know/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [Nothing sets a person up more than having something turn out just the way it's supposed to be, like falling into a Swiss snowdrift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claud-cockburn/nothing-sets-a-person-up-more-than-having-something-turn-out-just-the/) [Claud Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claud-cockburn/) > [They were really getting quite fond of their strange pet and hoped that Aslan would allow them to keep it. The cleverer ones were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-were-really-getting-quite-fond-of-their-strange-pet-and-hoped/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ We started filming \[with Brandy Burre \]and didn't really know, at first, what we were doing. Eventually, the thing just grabbed a hold of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/we-started-filming-with-brandy-burre-and-didn-t-really-know-at-first/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“I am a . . . solitary . . . man, he said. 'I do not suffer fools gladly, and I prefer to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lane/i-am-a-solitary-man-he-said-i-do-not-suffer-fools-gladly-and-i-prefer/) [Andrew Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lane/) > [Brandy is one of my favorite vocalists. Jay-Z is my favorite emcee outside of Biggie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-love/brandy-is-one-of-my-favorite-vocalists-jay-z-is-my-favorite-emcee/) [Rico Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-love/) > [I hate brandy...it stinks of modern literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-hate-brandy-it-stinks-of-modern-literature/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [“Looks like you’ve been busy,” he said as he set down the pail to survey the room. “You found water!” “There was a stream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/looks-like-you-ve-been-busy-he-said-as-he-set-down-the-pail-to-survey/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [I'm listening to early Cash Money, I'm listening to Juvenile, I'm listening to Waka Flocka, I'm listening to Lil B, I'm listening to Brandy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophilus-london/i-m-listening-to-early-cash-money-i-m-listening-to-juvenile-i-m/) [Theophilus London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophilus-london/) > [Disagreeing with the fervent patriotism of the Confederates: "I think it's hard winning a war with words, gentlemen. . . . I'm saying very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-gable/disagreeing-with-the-fervent-patriotism-of-the-confederates-i-think/) [Clark Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-gable/) > [Well, dinner would have been splendid... if the wine had been as cold as the soup, the beef as rare as the service, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/well-dinner-would-have-been-splendid-if-the-wine-had-been-as-cold-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 149 Brandy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose his love for water, but should we not pity him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-brandy-and-so-lose-his-love-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brandy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-brandy-and-so-lose-his-love-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_brandy_a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-br_577873.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose his love for water, but should we not pity him.” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man may acquire a taste...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-brandy-and-so-lose-his-love-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-may-acquire-a-taste-for-wine-or-brandy-and-so-lose-his-love-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```