--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Individuals, like nations, must have…" description: "\"Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and natural boundaries, even a considerable neutral ground, between them.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg" --- # Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and… ![“Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and natural boundaries, even a considerable neutral ground, between them.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg) > “Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and natural boundaries, even a considerable neutral ground, between them.” [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. Societies need clear, natural borders and neutral zones to maintain peace between nations. **In simple terms:** Borders and neutral spaces prevent conflict. Key Takeaway Establish fair boundaries and buffer zones. Themes politics peace boundaries neutrality Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - diplomacy - urban planning - environmental zones - international law Key Concepts Geopolitics conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can neutral zones be enforced? - What defines a natural boundary? A Different Perspective Complexities of defining “natural” borders. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [Boundaries Considerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries-considerable-4781454/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Nations Suitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations-suitable-4781455/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-boundaries-4196405/) [Neutral Ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neutral-ground-1205944/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Suitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suitable/) ## Related quotes > [The sea-shore is a sort of neutral ground, a most advantageous point from which to contemplate the world…There is naked Nature, inhumanly sincere, wasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sea-shore-is-a-sort-of-neutral-ground-a-most-advantageous-point/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Generally, the modeler should look for natural boundaries of the system to capture the most important and impactful structure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/generally-the-modeler-should-look-for-natural-boundaries-of-the/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [An effective way to test code is to exercise it at its natural boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/an-effective-way-to-test-code-is-to-exercise-it-at-its-natural/) [Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/) > [We needed to find some options for moving to neutral ground. I was tasked with doing that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-handel/we-needed-to-find-some-options-for-moving-to-neutral-ground-i-was/) [Karen Handel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-handel/) > [“On the small neutral ground of self-importance, the best men and the worst meet on the same terms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/on-the-small-neutral-ground-of-self-importance-the-best-men-and-the/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [“I do hope nobody else here has any other surprises planned, because if you so much as think about harming one another, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-do-hope-nobody-else-here-has-any-other-surprises-planned-because-if/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/there-is-no-neutral-ground-in-the-universe-every-square-inch-every/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The mode of clearing and planting is to fell the trees, and burn once what will burn, then cut them up into suitable lengths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mode-of-clearing-and-planting-is-to-fell-the-trees-and-burn-once/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Why should not our whole life and its scenery be actually thus fair and distinct? All our lives want a suitable background. 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Sometimes, in a summer morning, having taken my accustomed bath, I sat in my sunny doorway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-love-a-broad-margin-to-my-life-sometimes-in-a-summer-morning-having/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is best to lay our plans widely in youth, for then land is cheap, and it is but too easy to contract our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-best-to-lay-our-plans-widely-in-youth-for-then-land-is-cheap/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## 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 Boundaries quotes > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I never go anywhere or do anything that transports me outside the boundaries of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-never-go-anywhere-or-do-anything-that-transports-me-outside-the/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [As a kid, in the Runaways, I would see the interviewers start to ask about our personal lives and what we did — and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/as-a-kid-in-the-runaways-i-would-see-the-interviewers-start-to-ask/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. 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Yehoshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-yehoshua/) > [Working against a restriction - for me - often produces greater things than getting rid of all boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lord/working-against-a-restriction-for-me-often-produces-greater-things/) [Jon Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lord/) > [That's what all art's about - a sense of moving away from boundaries that you can't in real life. Like a dancer is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/that-s-what-all-art-s-about-a-sense-of-moving-away-from-boundaries/) [Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) [Browse all 2,012 Boundaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and natural boundaries, even a considerable neutral ground, between them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/individuals-like-nations-must-have-suitable-broad-and-natural/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boundaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/individuals-like-nations-must-have-suitable-broad-and-natural/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_boundaries_individuals-like-nations-must-have-suita_1380563.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and natural boundaries, even a considerable neutral…” — 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": "Individuals, like nations, must have suitable...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/individuals-like-nations-must-have-suitable-broad-and-natural/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/individuals-like-nations-must-have-suitable-broad-and-natural/#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 } } ] } ```