--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I desire that there may be as many…" description: "\"“I desire that there may be as many different persons in the world as possible; but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his ow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg" --- # I desire that there may be as many different persons in… ![“I desire that there may be as many different persons in the world as possible; but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's or his mother's or his neighbor's instead. The youth may build or plant or sail, only let him not be hindered from doing…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg) > ““I desire that there may be as many different persons in the world as possible; but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's or his mother's or his neighbor's instead. The youth may build or plant or sail, only let him not be hindered from doing that which he tells me he would like to do.”” [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. Encourages individuals to pursue their unique path, not inherited expectations, while respecting others’ freedoms. **In simple terms:** Follow your own calling, not others’ plans. Key Takeaway Seek personal purpose, respect others’ choices. Themes individualism freedom self‑discovery Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choices - creative projects - life direction Key Concepts authenticity autonomy non‑conformity Questions to Reflect On - What is your authentic desire? - How can you honor others’ paths while following yours? A Different Perspective Societal pressure may limit true self‑exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I desire that there be as many different persons in the world as possible; I would have each one be very careful to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-desire-that-there-be-as-many-different-persons-in-the-world-as/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“To many people it would seem mystical to say the persons, as we know them, are not separable and mutually exclusive, like physical bodies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/to-many-people-it-would-seem-mystical-to-say-the-persons-as-we-know/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [One remembers different persons differently, some by the impact they have made on our emotions, and others by the impression they leave in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallie-burnett/one-remembers-different-persons-differently-some-by-the-impact-they/) [Hallie Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallie-burnett/) > [For we are not all equally afflicted with the same disease or all in need of the same severe cure. This is the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-we-are-not-all-equally-afflicted-with-the-same-disease-or-all-in/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [We have different forms assigned to us in the school of life, different gifts imparted. All is not attractive that is good. Iron is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/we-have-different-forms-assigned-to-us-in-the-school-of-life/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [If it were only that people have diversities of taste, that is reason enough for not attempting to shape them all after one model.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/if-it-were-only-that-people-have-diversities-of-taste-that-is-reason/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [There are some persons in this world, who, unable to give better proof of being wise, take a strange delight in showing what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-are-some-persons-in-this-world-who-unable-to-give-better-proof/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“There are sufficient and suitable accommodations for all the different sorts of persons that are in the world: for great and small, for high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/there-are-sufficient-and-suitable-accommodations-for-all-the/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [The most popular persons are those who take the world as it is who find the least fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/the-most-popular-persons-are-those-who-take-the-world-as-it-is-who/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [“There are not so many kind persons in the world to let them go so easy. The best ones stay with us forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladislav-trofimov/there-are-not-so-many-kind-persons-in-the-world-to-let-them-go-so/) Vladislav Trofimov > [There are two persons in the world we never see as they are, one's self and one's other self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-houssaye/there-are-two-persons-in-the-world-we-never-see-as-they-are-one-s/) [Arsene Houssaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-houssaye/) > [“All the world used her ill, said this young misanthropist, ... and we may be pretty certain that persons whom all the world treats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/all-the-world-used-her-ill-said-this-young-misanthropist-and-we-may/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“It means that every man, woman, and child over the age, let us say, of twentyone or thirty, at the very outside, should never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/it-means-that-every-man-woman-and-child-over-the-age-let-us-say-of/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“We as humans are the patterns of life. We are the roads we travel. Our lives make up the insignificance of a moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-duke/we-as-humans-are-the-patterns-of-life-we-are-the-roads-we-travel-our/) [Megan Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-duke/) > [I'm not always smiling when I'm on the golf course. Sometimes, hey, listen, people have regular jobs. You go to them when they're working,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-koepka/i-m-not-always-smiling-when-i-m-on-the-golf-course-sometimes-hey/) [Brooks Koepka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-koepka/) ## 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 Different person quotes > [I'm not always smiling when I'm on the golf course. Sometimes, hey, listen, people have regular jobs. You go to them when they're working,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-koepka/i-m-not-always-smiling-when-i-m-on-the-golf-course-sometimes-hey/) [Brooks Koepka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-koepka/) > [“We as humans are the patterns of life. We are the roads we travel. Our lives make up the insignificance of a moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-duke/we-as-humans-are-the-patterns-of-life-we-are-the-roads-we-travel-our/) [Megan Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-duke/) > [My favorite superheroes when I was younger were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and they still are. Simply because they rule and you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reeves/my-favorite-superheroes-when-i-was-younger-were-the-teenage-mutant/) [Jason Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reeves/) > [I got a different persona than a lot of these other guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/i-got-a-different-persona-than-a-lot-of-these-other-guys/) [Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/) > [“It is so odd that you can stand in a space - a place in which you normally feel so happy and safe -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-driscoll/it-is-so-odd-that-you-can-stand-in-a-space-a-place-in-which-you/) [Teresa Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-driscoll/) > [“It was probably not so unusual to be a different person with a different man, for all parts were authentically within, waiting to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-shreve/it-was-probably-not-so-unusual-to-be-a-different-person-with-a/) [Anita Shreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-shreve/) > [“If you wake up at a different time in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/if-you-wake-up-at-a-different-time-in-a-different-place-could-you/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I was depressed. I knew I was lost, but I had no idea how to find myself again. It was as though I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmina-khadra/i-was-depressed-i-knew-i-was-lost-but-i-had-no-idea-how-to-find/) [Yasmina Khadra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmina-khadra/) > [When I see myself on screen, I don't even feel like it's me - it's like it's a completely different person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/when-i-see-myself-on-screen-i-don-t-even-feel-like-it-s-me-it-s-like/) [Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/) > [I mean the cool thing about the movies is that you get to try on these different personalities and different styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/i-mean-the-cool-thing-about-the-movies-is-that-you-get-to-try-on/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [To be a superstar you have to win and you have to have something special. For me, I hope that knocking people out is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/to-be-a-superstar-you-have-to-win-and-you-have-to-have-something/) [Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/) > [I love dressing up and putting on the makeup and the hair and the clothes and just being a different person for a day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-stone/i-love-dressing-up-and-putting-on-the-makeup-and-the-hair-and-the/) [Lara Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-stone/) > [What I like doing is being a different person. Every character is kind of different. So being able to be that person and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-breslin/what-i-like-doing-is-being-a-different-person-every-character-is-kind/) [Abigail Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-breslin/) > [All the teams you have have different personalities, and you kind of want it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/all-the-teams-you-have-have-different-personalities-and-you-kind-of/) [John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/) > [Ya know what, I am jealous. I am jealous of everyone who is prettier than me, because everyone is skinnier than me. because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ya-know-what-i-am-jealous-i-am-jealous-of-everyone-who-is-prettier/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 700 Different person quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I desire that there may be as many different persons in the world as possible; but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's or his mother's or his neighbor's instead. The youth may build or plant or sail, only let him not be hindered from doing that which he tells me he would like to do.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-different-persons-in-the-world-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Different person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-different-persons-in-the-world-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/henry-david-thoreau-20_different-person_i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-diffe_1147897.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I desire that there may be as many different persons in the world as possible; but I would have each one be…” — 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": "“I desire that there may be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-different-persons-in-the-world-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-desire-that-there-may-be-as-many-different-persons-in-the-world-as/#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 } } ] } ```