--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have thoroughly tried school-keeping…" description: "\"I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged to d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg" --- # I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my… ![“I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged to dress and train, not to say think and believe, accordingly, and I lost my time into the bargain. As I did not teach for the good of my fellow-men…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg) > “I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged to dress and train, not to say think and believe, accordingly, and I lost my time into the bargain. As I did not teach for the good of my fellow-men, but simply for a livelihood, this was a failure. I have tried trade; but I found that it would take ten years to get under way in that, and that then I should probably be on my way to the devil. I was actually afraid that I might by that time be doing what is called a good business.” [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. Thoreau critiques conventional work—teaching and trade—as misaligned with personal values, leading to wasted time and moral compromise. **In simple terms:** Critique of conventional labor Key Takeaway Work should align with purpose Themes individualism materialism moral integrity self-reliance critique of society Mood reflective critical melancholic Type philosophical social critique When to use this quote - career dissatisfaction - ethical dilemma in profession - search for meaningful work - conflict between income and values Key Concepts authenticity time value ethical livelihood social expectations Practical Applications - career counseling - personal development workshops Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance livelihood with personal ethics? - What alternatives exist to conventional employment? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bargains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Did Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-teach-382613/) [Dresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dresses/) [Expenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expenses/) [Fellow man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellow-man/) [Fellows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Good business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-business/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Livelihood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/livelihood/) [Livelihood Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/livelihood-failure-382611/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [My time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-time/) [My way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-way/) [Obliged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obliged/) [Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Keeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-keeping-382614/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Ten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) [Tried School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tried-school-382610/) [Tried Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tried-trade-382612/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I know Detroit has tried to trade for me for a while so I'm really happy to be in a situation with a team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-calderon/i-know-detroit-has-tried-to-trade-for-me-for-a-while-so-i-m-really/) [Jose Calderon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-calderon/) > [My mother…was perfectly horrified when I began shooting and tried to keep me in school, but I would run away and go quail shooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-oakley/my-mother-was-perfectly-horrified-when-i-began-shooting-and-tried-to/) [Annie Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-oakley/) > [For a couple of years, I'd work from 6 to 11 P.M., then 1 to 5 A.M., and then got up and tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-russell/for-a-couple-of-years-i-d-work-from-6-to-11-p-m-then-1-to-5-a-m-and/) [Leon Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-russell/) > [My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/my-father-taught-me-to-work-he-did-not-teach-me-to-love-it/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I did go to university and I did teach school for a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-murray/i-did-go-to-university-and-i-did-teach-school-for-a-year/) [Anne Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-murray/) > [“And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr-2/and-i-did-teach-my-people-to-build-buildings-and-to-work-in-all/) [Joseph Smith Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr-2/) > [ My mother was like, "What did they teach you?", and I had never talked about that \[sex-ed\] so I freaked out. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/my-mother-was-like-what-did-they-teach-you-and-i-had-never-talked/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [School made us 'literate' but did not teach us to read for pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/school-made-us-literate-but-did-not-teach-us-to-read-for-pleasure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Maria did teach us a lot. It taught us to value what we have: our friends, our neighbors, and those who helped us. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozuna/maria-did-teach-us-a-lot-it-taught-us-to-value-what-we-have-our/) [Ozuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozuna/) > [I went to a grim Victorian school with classes of 40 or 50 children. It was a very rigid and unimaginative education, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-paulin/i-went-to-a-grim-victorian-school-with-classes-of-40-or-50-children/) [Tom Paulin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-paulin/) > [The Novelist As Teacher”: “I would be quite satisfied if my novels (especially the ones I set in the past) did no more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/the-novelist-as-teacher-i-would-be-quite-satisfied-if-my-novels/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“How did you teach your small human that it’s what’s inside that counts when the truth was everyone was pretty preoccupied with what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-frankel/how-did-you-teach-your-small-human-that-it-s-what-s-inside-that/) [Laurie Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-frankel/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Marilyn was a great actress, not a dumb blond bombshell. She was very smart, very astute and a good businesswoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/marilyn-was-a-great-actress-not-a-dumb-blond-bombshell-she-was-very/) [Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) ## 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 Bargains quotes > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [To love unconditionally requires no contracts, bargains or agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/to-love-unconditionally-requires-no-contracts-bargains-or-agreements/) [Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/) > [If you want something and don't get it, there are only two reasons. You either really didn't want it, or you tried to bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-want-something-and-don-t-get-it-there-are-only-two-reasons-you/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Our goal is to find an outstanding business at a sensible price, not a mediocre business at a bargain price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/our-goal-is-to-find-an-outstanding-business-at-a-sensible-price-not-a/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [What we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages or working conditions... These so-called "right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-shouldn-t-be-doing-is-trying-to-take-away-your-rights-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I would prefer to remain in prison for another 20 years than bargain my beliefs for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-geagea/i-would-prefer-to-remain-in-prison-for-another-20-years-than-bargain/) [Samir Geagea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-geagea/) > [Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/let-us-not-envy-some-men-their-accumulated-riches-their-burden-would/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Off-the-rack solutions, like bargain basement dresses, never fit anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-giroud/off-the-rack-solutions-like-bargain-basement-dresses-never-fit-anymore/) [Francoise Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-giroud/) > [The natives are very exact and punctual in the bounds of their lands, belonging to this or that prince or people, even to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/the-natives-are-very-exact-and-punctual-in-the-bounds-of-their-lands/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [“Employment bargains your life and time for a piece of currency”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/employment-bargains-your-life-and-time-for-a-piece-of-currency/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Community colleges are great bargains. They avoid the fancy amenities four-year liberal arts colleges need in order to lure the children of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/community-colleges-are-great-bargains-they-avoid-the-fancy-amenities/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I'm a bargain shopper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-kimball/i-m-a-bargain-shopper/) [Cheyenne Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne-kimball/) > [Leisure is gone,--gone where the spinning-wheels are gone, and the pack-horses, and the slow wagons, and the peddlers, who brought bargains to the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/leisure-is-gone-gone-where-the-spinning-wheels-are-gone-and-the-pack/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Every man ought to be in love a few times in his life, and to have a smart attack of the fever. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/every-man-ought-to-be-in-love-a-few-times-in-his-life-and-to-have-a/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [A reputable lawyer will advise you to keep out of the law, make the best of a foolish bargain, and not get caught again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-reputable-lawyer-will-advise-you-to-keep-out-of-the-law-make-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Browse all 262 Bargains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged to dress and train, not to say think and believe, accordingly, and I lost my time into the bargain. As I did not teach for the good of my fellow-men, but simply for a livelihood, this was a failure. I have tried trade; but I found that it would take ten years to get under way in that, and that then I should probably be on my way to the devil. I was actually afraid that I might by that time be doing what is called a good business.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bargains" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb0/henry-david-thoreau-20_bargains_i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-a_16156.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of…” — 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 have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/#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 } } ] } ```