--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man must generally get away some…" description: "\"A man must generally get away some hundreds or thousands of miles from home before he can be said to begin his travels. Why not begin his travels at ho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b6/henry-david-thoreau-20_advantage_a-man-must-generally-get-away-some-hundr_2574689.jpg" --- # A man must generally get away some hundreds or thousands… ![“A man must generally get away some hundreds or thousands of miles from home before he can be said to begin his travels. Why not begin his travels at home? Would he have to go far or look very closely to discover novelties? The traveler who, in this sense, pursues his travels at home, has the…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b6/henry-david-thoreau-20_advantage_a-man-must-generally-get-away-some-hundr_2574689.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b6/henry-david-thoreau-20_advantage_a-man-must-generally-get-away-some-hundr_2574689.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b6/henry-david-thoreau-20_advantage_a-man-must-generally-get-away-some-hundr_2574689.jpg) > “A man must generally get away some hundreds or thousands of miles from home before he can be said to begin his travels. Why not begin his travels at home? Would he have to go far or look very closely to discover novelties? The traveler who, in this sense, pursues his travels at home, has the advantage at any rate of a long residence in the country to make his observations correct and profitable. Now the American goes to England, while the Englishman comes to America, in order to describe the country.” [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. Travel can begin at home; observing familiar surroundings yields valuable insights before venturing far. **In simple terms:** Start exploring locally to gain insight. Key Takeaway Observe and learn from your immediate environment. Themes self‑discovery observation travel Mood reflective curious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - journaling - walking tours - community study Key Concepts philosophy localism Questions to Reflect On - How can local insight inform global understanding? - What balance between local and distant experiences is ideal? A Different Perspective Home observation may limit broader perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelty/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Traveler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traveler/) [Travels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travels/) [Why not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-not/) ## Related quotes > [Everywhere your eye travels in your home, it should land on something that resonates with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/everywhere-your-eye-travels-in-your-home-it-should-land-on-something/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [I cannot but regard it as a kindness in those who have the steering of me that, by the want of pecuniary wealth, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-cannot-but-regard-it-as-a-kindness-in-those-who-have-the-steering/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The ocean is a wilderness reaching round the globe, wilder than a Bengal jungle, and fuller of monsters, washing the very wharves of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-ocean-is-a-wilderness-reaching-round-the-globe-wilder-than-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If you would feel the full force of a tempest, take up your residence on the top of Mount Washington, or at the Highland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-would-feel-the-full-force-of-a-tempest-take-up-your-residence/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Though many schizophrenics become curiously attached to their delusions, the fading of the nondelusional world puts them in loneliness beyond all reckoning, a fixed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/though-many-schizophrenics-become-curiously-attached-to-their/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I suffered most inconvenience from the difficulty of getting news from the civilised world down river, from the irregularity of receipt of letters, parcels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-walter-bates/i-suffered-most-inconvenience-from-the-difficulty-of-getting-news/) [Henry Walter Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-walter-bates/) > [I was a tried seaman when, for the first time, I set foot upon the soil of my country, and took up my residence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sergeant-wise/i-was-a-tried-seaman-when-for-the-first-time-i-set-foot-upon-the-soil/) [John Sergeant Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sergeant-wise/) > [You are not at home where your residence are but where you are understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-morgenstern/you-are-not-at-home-where-your-residence-are-but-where-you-are/) [Christian Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-morgenstern/) > [Solomon's temple also was designed to increase the attractiveness of the city of his residence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-wellhausen/solomon-s-temple-also-was-designed-to-increase-the-attractiveness-of/) [Julius Wellhausen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-wellhausen/) > [The orator, who may be silent without danger, may praise without difficulty and without reluctance; and posterity will confess that the character of Theodosius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-orator-who-may-be-silent-without-danger-may-praise-without/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Why should the residence of a preacher be untaxed? 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I live in a simple apartment behind the Vatican gas station.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-don-t-live-in-the-papal-residence-i-live-in-a-simple-apartment/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [ The fundamental principle \[of settlement work\] remains: that people shall take up their residence in industrial communities, giving what they may have of public… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-wald/the-fundamental-principle-of-settlement-work-remains-that-people/) [Lillian Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-wald/) ## 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. 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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 Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. 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