--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He teaches how to void excrement and…" description: "\"“He teaches how to void excrement and urine and the like, elevating what is mean, and does not falsely excuse himself by calling these things trifles.”..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg" --- # He teaches how to void excrement and urine and the like… ![“He teaches how to void excrement and urine and the like, elevating what is mean, and does not falsely excuse himself by calling these things trifles.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg) > ““He teaches how to void excrement and urine and the like, elevating what is mean, and does not falsely excuse himself by calling these things trifles.”” [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. He argues that even mundane bodily functions are part of nature, urging honesty and humility. **In simple terms:** Even basic bodily acts are natural and worthy of respect. Key Takeaway Accept all aspects of humanity. Themes humility nature honesty Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal reflection - ethical living - environmental awareness Key Concepts philosophy human condition Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging the body affect your moral outlook? - What everyday actions can you treat with more respect? A Different Perspective Ignoring bodily needs can lead to shame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excrement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excrement/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Trifles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trifles/) ## Related quotes > [It is curious to observe the triumph of slight incidents over the mind; and what incredible weight they have in forming and governing our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/it-is-curious-to-observe-the-triumph-of-slight-incidents-over-the/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [Exploding many things under the name of trifles is a very false proof either of wisdom or magnanimity, and a great check to virtuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/exploding-many-things-under-the-name-of-trifles-is-a-very-false-proof/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [All big things are made up of trifles. My entire life has been built on trifles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/all-big-things-are-made-up-of-trifles-my-entire-life-has-been-built/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Excrement, meet air-moving device.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-merrow/excrement-meet-air-moving-device/) [J.L. Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-merrow/) > [You are excrement. You can change yourself into gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/you-are-excrement-you-can-change-yourself-into-gold/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [Excess is excrement, ... Excrement retained in the body is a poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/excess-is-excrement-excrement-retained-in-the-body-is-a-poison/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Of all the peoples of the world, the Chinese are probably the most at home with their excrement. They know its value. For 4,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/of-all-the-peoples-of-the-world-the-chinese-are-probably-the-most-at/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [“If the cultural standing of excrement doesn't convince them, I say that the material itself is as rich as oil and probably more useful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/if-the-cultural-standing-of-excrement-doesn-t-convince-them-i-say/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [“I used to think that size does not count, until I realized that most people either find other people’s faeces more disgusting than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/i-used-to-think-that-size-does-not-count-until-i-realized-that-most/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Don't judge a fat guy by the amount of excrement he leaves in the toilet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-judge-a-fat-guy-by-the-amount-of-excrement-he-leaves-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Childish despair: this woman I meet in my dream, fall passionately in love with and give my address to - I immediately realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/childish-despair-this-woman-i-meet-in-my-dream-fall-passionately-in/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [Excrement can never be culturally elaborated to the extent that nutriment can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/excrement-can-never-be-culturally-elaborated-to-the-extent-that/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“The lessons in measurement of cloacal forces. Time as a flow of sewage. The excrement of space, scatology of creation. The voiding of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/the-lessons-in-measurement-of-cloacal-forces-time-as-a-flow-of-sewage/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [But Love has pitched his mansion in the place of excrement. For nothing can be sole or whole that has not been rent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/but-love-has-pitched-his-mansion-in-the-place-of-excrement-for/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“Mr. Wang had found my interest in fen, the Mandarin word for excrement, peculiar. Nonetheless, he tried to be helpful. He would point out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/mr-wang-had-found-my-interest-in-fen-the-mandarin-word-for-excrement/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) ## 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 Excrement quotes > [“Mr. Wang had found my interest in fen, the Mandarin word for excrement, peculiar. Nonetheless, he tried to be helpful. He would point out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/mr-wang-had-found-my-interest-in-fen-the-mandarin-word-for-excrement/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [But Love has pitched his mansion in the place of excrement. For nothing can be sole or whole that has not been rent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/but-love-has-pitched-his-mansion-in-the-place-of-excrement-for/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“The lessons in measurement of cloacal forces. Time as a flow of sewage. The excrement of space, scatology of creation. The voiding of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/the-lessons-in-measurement-of-cloacal-forces-time-as-a-flow-of-sewage/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [Excrement can never be culturally elaborated to the extent that nutriment can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/excrement-can-never-be-culturally-elaborated-to-the-extent-that/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Childish despair: this woman I meet in my dream, fall passionately in love with and give my address to - I immediately realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/childish-despair-this-woman-i-meet-in-my-dream-fall-passionately-in/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [Don't judge a fat guy by the amount of excrement he leaves in the toilet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-judge-a-fat-guy-by-the-amount-of-excrement-he-leaves-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I used to think that size does not count, until I realized that most people either find other people’s faeces more disgusting than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/i-used-to-think-that-size-does-not-count-until-i-realized-that-most/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“If the cultural standing of excrement doesn't convince them, I say that the material itself is as rich as oil and probably more useful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/if-the-cultural-standing-of-excrement-doesn-t-convince-them-i-say/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [Of all the peoples of the world, the Chinese are probably the most at home with their excrement. They know its value. For 4,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/of-all-the-peoples-of-the-world-the-chinese-are-probably-the-most-at/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [Excess is excrement, ... Excrement retained in the body is a poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/excess-is-excrement-excrement-retained-in-the-body-is-a-poison/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [You are excrement. You can change yourself into gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/you-are-excrement-you-can-change-yourself-into-gold/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [“Excrement, meet air-moving device.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-merrow/excrement-meet-air-moving-device/) [J.L. Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-merrow/) > [How hollow is the heart of man, and how full of excrement!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/how-hollow-is-the-heart-of-man-and-how-full-of-excrement/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“Conclusion: I don't need the water reclaimer at all. I'll drink as needed and dump my waste outdoors. Yeah, that's right, Mars, I'm gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/conclusion-i-don-t-need-the-water-reclaimer-at-all-i-ll-drink-as/) [Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/) > [To call you excrement would be an insult to the product of my bowels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/to-call-you-excrement-would-be-an-insult-to-the-product-of-my-bowels/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) [Browse all 17 Excrement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excrement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He teaches how to void excrement and urine and the like, elevating what is mean, and does not falsely excuse himself by calling these things trifles.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-urine-and-the-like-elevating/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excrement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-urine-and-the-like-elevating/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-uri_930457.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He teaches how to void excrement and urine and the like, elevating what is mean, and does not falsely excuse…” — 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": "“He teaches how to void excrement...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-urine-and-the-like-elevating/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-teaches-how-to-void-excrement-and-urine-and-the-like-elevating/#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 } } ] } ```