--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At present our only true names are…" description: "\"At present our only true names are nicknames.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg" --- # At present our only true names are nicknames. ![“At present our only true names are nicknames.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg) > “At present our only true names are nicknames.” [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. Names are social constructs that simplify identity, but true identity transcends labels. **In simple terms:** Names are labels, not the person. Key Takeaway Recognize deeper identity beyond names. Themes identity language social constructs Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal introspection - social interaction - writing - teaching Key Concepts selfhood nominalism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself beyond a name? - What impact do nicknames have on self-perception? A Different Perspective Names can be limiting when they replace nuanced understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Names Nicknames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names-nicknames-5558598/) [Nicknames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicknames/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-names-4332802/) ## Related quotes > [“For true names in the mouth of an enemy have power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-danley/for-true-names-in-the-mouth-of-an-enemy-have-power/) [Kate Danley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-danley/) > [True names,” said September wonderingly. “These are all true names. Like, when your parents call you to dinner and you don’t come and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/true-names-said-september-wonderingly-these-are-all-true-names-like/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Titles are but nicknames, and every nickname is a title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/titles-are-but-nicknames-and-every-nickname-is-a-title/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Majority of people prefer a good name to a bad name, but to me, anyone can call me anything, as long as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/majority-of-people-prefer-a-good-name-to-a-bad-name-but-to-me-anyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [In January 2012, Google Plus started to roll out support for nicknames and pseudonyms, but those registering with a name other than their real-life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/in-january-2012-google-plus-started-to-roll-out-support-for-nicknames/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [... when your name is really and truly Percy Blakeney, pronounced 'Black-knee', and you still have bad acne in your twenties, you accept Pimple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-your-name-is-really-and-truly-percy-blakeney-pronounced-black/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [What is commonly honored with the name of Friendship is no very profound or powerful instinct. Men do not, after all, love their Friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-commonly-honored-with-the-name-of-friendship-is-no-very/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I walk out into a nature such as the old prophets and poets Menu, Moses, Homer, Chaucer, walked in. You may name it America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-walk-out-into-a-nature-such-as-the-old-prophets-and-poets-menu/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We are true to our name. We're somewhat beneath the surface, and I think well always be to a certain extent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-thought/we-are-true-to-our-name-we-re-somewhat-beneath-the-surface-and-i/) [Black Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-thought/) > [All men that date me have to know that their name may end up in a pop song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/all-men-that-date-me-have-to-know-that-their-name-may-end-up-in-a-pop/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) > [When we started Appaloosa, we were going to name it Pegasus because everyone was using Greek names. We filed the name. We paid $300,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tepper/when-we-started-appaloosa-we-were-going-to-name-it-pegasus-because/) [David Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tepper/) > [When I started out, I was Avici with one i. But on MySpace, that name was taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/when-i-started-out-i-was-avici-with-one-i-but-on-myspace-that-name/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [As for Aliki - if you were to stand in the middle of Rome and say the name Sophia Loren, or Paris and say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/as-for-aliki-if-you-were-to-stand-in-the-middle-of-rome-and-say-the/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [I am hands-on in any project that I am associated with. I just don't want to put my face or name and lend it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-am-hands-on-in-any-project-that-i-am-associated-with-i-just-don-t/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. We didn't want to think it was cute; we wanted people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/when-we-built-roomba-we-explicitly-designed-it-to-not-have-a-face-we/) [Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/) ## 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 Name quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [The name Phenomenal Woman was inspired by Maya Angelo, who wrote 'Phenomenal Woman', a favorite poem of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meena-harris/the-name-phenomenal-woman-was-inspired-by-maya-angelo-who-wrote/) [Meena Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meena-harris/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [When you win you're going to get fans chanting your name and when you don't do great they're going to give you stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-bellerin/when-you-win-you-re-going-to-get-fans-chanting-your-name-and-when-you/) [Hector Bellerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-bellerin/) > [They've changed the name from white supremacy to white separatists, to white nationalists, to alt-right. It's the same thing. A rose by any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/they-ve-changed-the-name-from-white-supremacy-to-white-separatists-to/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [“The name does not deserve the poem, but the poem deserves the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/the-name-does-not-deserve-the-poem-but-the-poem-deserves-the-name/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [I was determined to be an actor and make a name in the industry, and hence, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawazuddin-siddiqui/i-was-determined-to-be-an-actor-and-make-a-name-in-the-industry-and/) [Nawazuddin Siddiqui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawazuddin-siddiqui/) > [One night in a club in Boston, I tried the name Roger Duck. No laughs. The next night, I tried Orson Bean, putting together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/one-night-in-a-club-in-boston-i-tried-the-name-roger-duck-no-laughs/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [There's things that you want to accomplish, but to do that you have to work. That's the name of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/there-s-things-that-you-want-to-accomplish-but-to-do-that-you-have-to/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [When I see scarves or shirts, I think: 'Why have they got my name on? They could have Pogba or Rashford or Lingard.' When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-james/when-i-see-scarves-or-shirts-i-think-why-have-they-got-my-name-on/) [Daniel James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-james/) > [It's a hindrance in trying to get a serious acting role. The minute a producer has a script and my name comes up, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbi-benton/it-s-a-hindrance-in-trying-to-get-a-serious-acting-role-the-minute-a/) [Barbi Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbi-benton/) > [I always gravitate to perfume with rose. My mom's maiden name is Rose, and the scent of my childhood was always rose. Le Sirenuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alana-haim/i-always-gravitate-to-perfume-with-rose-my-mom-s-maiden-name-is-rose/) [Alana Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alana-haim/) > [I think people can read authenticity and they know when you're involved and when you're just slapping your name on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/i-think-people-can-read-authenticity-and-they-know-when-you-re/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. If I'm looking at you and you call my name, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jase-robertson/we-only-call-at-ducks-when-their-rear-ends-are-towards-us-if-i-m/) [Jase Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jase-robertson/) [Browse all 3,968 Name quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At present our only true names are nicknames.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nicknames/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Name" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nicknames/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/henry-david-thoreau-20_name_at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nickn_3134776.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At present our only true names are nicknames.” — 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": "At present our only true names...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nicknames/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/at-present-our-only-true-names-are-nicknames/#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 } } ] } ```