--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never dreamed of any enormity greater…" description: "\"I never dreamed of any enormity greater than I have committed. I never knew, and never shall know, a worse man than myself.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/henry-david-thoreau-20_commit_i-never-dreamed-of-any-enormity-greater_2672497.jpg" --- # I never dreamed of any enormity greater than I have… ![“I never dreamed of any enormity greater than I have committed. I never knew, and never shall know, a worse man than myself.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/henry-david-thoreau-20_commit_i-never-dreamed-of-any-enormity-greater_2672497.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/henry-david-thoreau-20_commit_i-never-dreamed-of-any-enormity-greater_2672497.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/henry-david-thoreau-20_commit_i-never-dreamed-of-any-enormity-greater_2672497.jpg) > “I never dreamed of any enormity greater than I have committed. I never knew, and never shall know, a worse man than myself.” [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. One's own deeds can be more daunting than any imagined greatness; self-awareness reveals personal flaws. **In simple terms:** Self-awareness shows personal flaws. Key Takeaway Practice humility and self-reflection. Themes philosophy self humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal development - leadership - mental health - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How to balance humility with confidence? - What tools aid self-awareness? A Different Perspective Self-criticism can be harsh. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commit/) [Committed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committed/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreamed Enormity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed-enormity-2514884/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Enormity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormity/) [Enormity Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormity-greater-2514885/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse/) [Worse Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-man-464262/) ## Related quotes > [Society than solitude is worse, And man to man is still the greatest curse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/society-than-solitude-is-worse-and-man-to-man-is-still-the-greatest/) [Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/) > [The worse the man, the better the soldier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-worse-the-man-the-better-the-soldier/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [When you take a man as he is, you make him worse. 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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 Commit quotes > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Although under particular circumstances, the violence method - any method - can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-under-particular-circumstances-the-violence-method-any/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/) [Emile M. 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Not hit and quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhecky/love-and-commit-not-hit-and-quit/) [Jhecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhecky/) [Browse all 1,824 Commit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never dreamed of any enormity greater than I have committed. 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