--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is comparatively a faint and reflected…" description: "\"It is comparatively a faint and reflected beauty that is admired, not an essential and intrinsic one. It is because the old are weak, feel their mortal..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/henry-david-thoreau-20_aging_it-is-comparatively-a-faint-and-reflecte_2369836.jpg" --- # It is comparatively a faint and reflected beauty that is… ![“It is comparatively a faint and reflected beauty that is admired, not an essential and intrinsic one. It is because the old are weak, feel their mortality, and think that they have measured the strength of man. They will not boast; they will be frank and humble. Well, let them have the few poor…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/henry-david-thoreau-20_aging_it-is-comparatively-a-faint-and-reflecte_2369836.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/henry-david-thoreau-20_aging_it-is-comparatively-a-faint-and-reflecte_2369836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/henry-david-thoreau-20_aging_it-is-comparatively-a-faint-and-reflecte_2369836.jpg) > “It is comparatively a faint and reflected beauty that is admired, not an essential and intrinsic one. It is because the old are weak, feel their mortality, and think that they have measured the strength of man. They will not boast; they will be frank and humble. Well, let them have the few poor comforts they can keep. Humility is still a very human virtue. They look back on life, and so see not into the future. The prospect of the young is forward and unbounded, mingling the future with the present.” [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. The quote contrasts superficial beauty with deeper, intrinsic value, noting that age brings humility and a focus on modest comforts, while youth looks forward with limitless potential. **In simple terms:** Superficial beauty is admired, deeper value is intrinsic; age brings humility, youth looks ahead. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and forward vision. Themes humility beauty age youth perspective Mood reflective contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - elderly reflection - young ambition - intergenerational dialogue - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism human nature temporal contrast Questions to Reflect On - How does humility shape your view of beauty? - What can the young learn from the modest comforts of the old? A Different Perspective Youthful optimism may overlook present responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Beauty Admired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty-admired-5832259/) [Boast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boast/) [Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/) [Comforts Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comforts-humility-5832258/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frank/) [Human Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-virtue-1129844/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Humility Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility-human-363179/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mingling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mingling/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Strength Of Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-of-man/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [Beauty is only to be admired, only to be loved - to be harvested carefully and then flung at a chosen lover like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/beauty-is-only-to-be-admired-only-to-be-loved-to-be-harvested/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. The forces of nature discriminate for no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/fishing-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-democracy-of-life-of-humility/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Art, because it's so easy to do, and yet so difficult to do well, encourages humility in the human soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/art-because-it-s-so-easy-to-do-and-yet-so-difficult-to-do-well/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [In all teaching there must be a fusion of authority as an adult providing a stable framework for the children in one's care, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehudi-menuhin/in-all-teaching-there-must-be-a-fusion-of-authority-as-an-adult/) [Yehudi Menuhin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehudi-menuhin/) > [The word humility (also human) is derived from the Latin humus, meaning the soil. Perhaps this is not simply because it entails stooping and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-ferrucci/the-word-humility-also-human-is-derived-from-the-latin-humus-meaning/) [Piero Ferrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-ferrucci/) > [I think you gotta have an honesty and a humility about human nature and that it's not about you at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-think-you-gotta-have-an-honesty-and-a-humility-about-human-nature/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [“When you saw the exquisite pair team of Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, whether on ice or off, you wished everyone could know a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/when-you-saw-the-exquisite-pair-team-of-ekaterina-gordeeva-and-sergei/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [ “\[Alyosha\] was to some extent a youth of our last epoch — that is, honest in nature, desiring the truth, seeking for it and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/alyosha-was-to-some-extent-a-youth-of-our-last-epoch-that-is-honest/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The strength of man sinks in the hour of trial; but there doth live a Power that to the battle girdeth the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-baillie/the-strength-of-man-sinks-in-the-hour-of-trial-but-there-doth-live-a/) [Joanna Baillie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-baillie/) > [“But he cannot flourish without this diet, he eat not as others. Even friend Jonathan, who lived with him for weeks, did never see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/but-he-cannot-flourish-without-this-diet-he-eat-not-as-others-even/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [Sir, what can be said of these things? Is it the arm of the flesh that hath done these things? Is it the wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-cromwell/sir-what-can-be-said-of-these-things-is-it-the-arm-of-the-flesh-that/) [Oliver Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-cromwell/) > [Patience is the courage of the conqueror, the strength of man against destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patience-is-the-courage-of-the-conqueror-the-strength-of-man-against/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“unfortunately, these young men do not understand that the sacrifice of life is, perhaps, the easiest of all sacrifices in many cases, while to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/unfortunately-these-young-men-do-not-understand-that-the-sacrifice-of/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Though these young men unhappily fail to understand that the sacrifice of life is, in many cases, the easiest of all sacrifices, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/though-these-young-men-unhappily-fail-to-understand-that-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We underestimated human potential, both the strength of man's intellect and the weakness of his flesh, and therefore his receptivity to satanic inspiration --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-mulisch/we-underestimated-human-potential-both-the-strength-of-man-s/) [Harry Mulisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-mulisch/) ## 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 Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is comparatively a faint and reflected beauty that is admired, not an essential and intrinsic one. 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