--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had not lived there a week before my…" description: "\"I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/henry-david-thoreau-20_conformity_i-had-not-lived-there-a-week-before-my-f_2060628.jpg" --- # I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path… ![“I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct. It is true, I fear that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open. The surface of the earth is soft and…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/henry-david-thoreau-20_conformity_i-had-not-lived-there-a-week-before-my-f_2060628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/henry-david-thoreau-20_conformity_i-had-not-lived-there-a-week-before-my-f_2060628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/henry-david-thoreau-20_conformity_i-had-not-lived-there-a-week-before-my-f_2060628.jpg) > “I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct. It is true, I fear that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open. The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity!” [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. Physical and mental paths wear down over time, yet they remain distinct and can be kept open through conscious effort. **In simple terms:** Old habits shape us, but we can preserve new ways. Key Takeaway Maintain awareness of mental habits. Themes tradition mindfulness change Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily routines - learning new skills - cultural practices - personal reflection Key Concepts Phenomenology psychology Questions to Reflect On - Which mental path do you wish to keep open? - How can you protect new ideas from conformity? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted habits is difficult and may meet resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallen/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Feet Wore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet-wore-2652162/) [Highways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highways/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Paths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-paths-3815424/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Paths Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paths-mind-397629/) [Ponds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ponds/) [Ruts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruts/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Travels Worn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travels-worn-3929450/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Wore Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wore-path-3929449/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worn/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [“It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves. I had not lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-remarkable-how-easily-and-insensibly-we-fall-into-a-particular-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-surface-of-the-earth-is-soft-and-impressible-by-the-feet-of-men-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-surface-of-the-earth-is-soft-and-impressible-by-the-feet-of-men/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When I stayed with my father in Africa, I was always covered from head to foot in a shirt buttoned to the neck and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-michael-of-kent/when-i-stayed-with-my-father-in-africa-i-was-always-covered-from-head/) [Princess Michael of Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-michael-of-kent/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“There were some night paths the mind was better off not traversing;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/there-were-some-night-paths-the-mind-was-better-off-not-traversing/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/anything-is-one-of-a-million-paths-therefore-you-must-always-keep-in-2/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [For men are prone to go it blind along the calf-paths of the mind To do what other men have done. They follow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/for-men-are-prone-to-go-it-blind-along-the-calf-paths-of-the-mind-to/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [...how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/how-deep-the-ruts-of-tradition-and-conformity/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [For my part, I would rather look toward Rutland than Jerusalem. Rutland,--modern town,--land of ruts,--trivial and worn,--not toosacred,--with no holy sepulchre, but profane green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/for-my-part-i-would-rather-look-toward-rutland-than-jerusalem-rutland/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It's time for us to rise up, get out of the rut and routine, and begin to take our Christian faith seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/it-s-time-for-us-to-rise-up-get-out-of-the-rut-and-routine-and-begin/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I think that's what's important, to see how we ourselves can become all that we are and can be. Everybody says they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/surya-das/i-think-that-s-what-s-important-to-see-how-we-ourselves-can-become/) [Surya Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/surya-das/) > [Role modeling is the most basic responsibility of parents. Parents are handing life's scripts to their children, scripts that in all likelihood will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/role-modeling-is-the-most-basic-responsibility-of-parents-parents-are/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [ \[All governments\] get into a rut where every potentially good story turns into a bad one. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/all-governments-get-into-a-rut-where-every-potentially-good-story/) [Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/) > [There is something therapeutic about doing for others that lifts a person out of the rut of self-thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/there-is-something-therapeutic-about-doing-for-others-that-lifts-a/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) ## 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 Conformity quotes > [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/) [Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/) > [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [The Chains of conformity click in tiresomely monotonous unison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-chains-of-conformity-click-in-tiresomely-monotonous-unison/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Ideation is not a synonym for innovation, conformity is not its simple antonym, and innovation is not the automatic consequence of "creative thinking.".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-levitt/ideation-is-not-a-synonym-for-innovation-conformity-is-not-its-simple/) [Theodore Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-levitt/) > [“I lead with the knowingness that my reality conforms to my wishes and desires instantly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-baker/i-lead-with-the-knowingness-that-my-reality-conforms-to-my-wishes-and/) [Robin S. Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-baker/) > [Alas, everything that men say to one another is alike; the ideas they exchange are almost always the same, in their conversation. But inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/alas-everything-that-men-say-to-one-another-is-alike-the-ideas-they/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) > [The search for truth is a cooperative, unending endeavor. We can, and should, engage in it to the extent we can and encourage others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-search-for-truth-is-a-cooperative-unending-endeavor-we-can-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Brontë was attempting to depict a character that adheres to the unchanging principles of her faith though she refused conformity to the particular practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-swallow-prior/bront-was-attempting-to-depict-a-character-that-adheres-to-the/) [Karen Swallow Prior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-swallow-prior/) > [Officers conditioned to conformity in peacetime cannot be expected to behave boldly and flexibly in combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-yingling/officers-conditioned-to-conformity-in-peacetime-cannot-be-expected-to/) [Paul Yingling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-yingling/) > [The more civilized a nation, the more conformed its population, until that civilization's last age arrives, when multiplicity wages war with conformity. The former…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/the-more-civilized-a-nation-the-more-conformed-its-population-until/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/society-everywhere-is-in-conspiracy-against-the-manhood-of-every-one/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Browse all 937 Conformity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct. It is true, I fear that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open. 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