--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As for the dispute about solitude and…" description: "\"As for the dispute about solitude and society, any comparison is impertinent. It is an idling down on the plane at the base of a mountain, instead of c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/henry-david-thoreau-20_climbing_as-for-the-dispute-about-solitude-and-so_884315.jpg" --- # As for the dispute about solitude and society, any… ![“As for the dispute about solitude and society, any comparison is impertinent. It is an idling down on the plane at the base of a mountain, instead of climbing steadily to its top.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/henry-david-thoreau-20_climbing_as-for-the-dispute-about-solitude-and-so_884315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/henry-david-thoreau-20_climbing_as-for-the-dispute-about-solitude-and-so_884315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/henry-david-thoreau-20_climbing_as-for-the-dispute-about-solitude-and-so_884315.jpg) > “As for the dispute about solitude and society, any comparison is impertinent. It is an idling down on the plane at the base of a mountain, instead of climbing steadily to its top.” [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. Solitude offers deeper growth than superficial social comparison; true progress requires personal ascent. **In simple terms:** Solitude fosters personal growth. Key Takeaway Seek inner development over idle comparison. Themes solitude personal growth reflection Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - mountain climbing - creative writing - meditation retreats - career advancement Key Concepts existentialism self reliance nature philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does solitude mean to you? - When does community aid your ascent? A Different Perspective Social interaction can provide valuable feedback; isolation may hinder collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climbing/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) [Dispute Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dispute-solitude-1084284/) [Disputes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disputes/) [Idling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idling/) [Idling Plane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idling-plane-1084285/) [Mountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mountain/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Society Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-comparison-1084286/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Solitude Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude-society-1080016/) ## Related quotes > [Where should the scholar live? In solitude, or in society? in the green stillness of the country, where he can hear the heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/where-should-the-scholar-live-in-solitude-or-in-society-in-the-green/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [“You inquire after my health - it is better; but while I remain cut off from all hope, and doomed to solitude, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/you-inquire-after-my-health-it-is-better-but-while-i-remain-cut-off/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [And for this you must have quiet and solitude. But society does not allow you to have them. You must be with people, outwardly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/and-for-this-you-must-have-quiet-and-solitude-but-society-does-not/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I love tranquil solitude And such society As is quiet, wise, and good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/i-love-tranquil-solitude-and-such-society-as-is-quiet-wise-and-good-2/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Be able to be alone. Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/be-able-to-be-alone-lose-not-the-advantage-of-solitude-and-the/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [I love tranquil solitude, And such society As is quiet, wise, and good; Between thee and me What difference? but thou dost possess The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/i-love-tranquil-solitude-and-such-society-as-is-quiet-wise-and-good/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Personally I regard idling as a virtue, but civilized society holds otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/personally-i-regard-idling-as-a-virtue-but-civilized-society-holds/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [I feel like Court Yard Hounds keeps us idling. I think Emily and I function better when we're continually making music and playing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/i-feel-like-court-yard-hounds-keeps-us-idling-i-think-emily-and-i/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [Idling is not my strong suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-gigandet/idling-is-not-my-strong-suit/) [Cam Gigandet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-gigandet/) > [“Life was not to be sitting in hot amorphic leisure in my backyard idly writing or not-writing, as the spirit moved me. It was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/life-was-not-to-be-sitting-in-hot-amorphic-leisure-in-my-backyard/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our modern world requires one to hold a job to maintain a sustainable existence. Idling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/it-is-an-unfortunate-reality-for-innate-idlers-that-our-modern-world/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-impossible-to-enjoy-idling-thoroughly-unless-one-has-plenty-of/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [In idling, the motor's running, but you're letting your mind take in anything. Things pop into it. Those are the gifts of subterranean conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-adler/in-idling-the-motor-s-running-but-you-re-letting-your-mind-take-in/) [Mortimer Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-adler/) > [“Relaxing brings weakness, when done by a muscle; but brings strength, when done by a person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/relaxing-brings-weakness-when-done-by-a-muscle-but-brings-strength/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Alberta had always had many forms of idling. She frittered away her time with virtuosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-sandel/alberta-had-always-had-many-forms-of-idling-she-frittered-away-her/) [Cora Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-sandel/) ## 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 Climbing quotes > [I'm always climbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-caldwell/i-m-always-climbing/) [Tommy Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-caldwell/) > [There is nothing to do, just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. I do not even say "be yourself"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/there-is-nothing-to-do-just-be-do-nothing-be-no-climbing-mountains/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [Classic mountaineering grows out of a traditional romantic imagination. Its heart is the feeling, its path is blood, sweat and tears, and its restriction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-kurtyka/classic-mountaineering-grows-out-of-a-traditional-romantic/) [Wojciech Kurtyka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-kurtyka/) > [Placing my buttocks on a cold toilet seat is my climbing Mount Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/placing-my-buttocks-on-a-cold-toilet-seat-is-my-climbing-mount-everest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. 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