--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is remarkable how long men will…" description: "\"It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg" --- # It is remarkable how long men will believe in the… ![“It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg) > “It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.” [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. People often accept unexamined beliefs without seeking evidence. **In simple terms:** Blind faith persists without inquiry. Key Takeaway Question assumptions before accepting. Themes skepticism truth-seeking critical thinking Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decisions - scientific research - policy making - media consumption Key Concepts epistemology belief formation Questions to Reflect On - What belief have you accepted without testing? - How can you verify hidden truths? A Different Perspective Evidence may be hard to obtain, leading to uncertainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Bottomlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-bottomlessness-6139886/) [Bottomlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottomlessness-6139887/) [Bottomlessness Pond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottomlessness-pond-6139885/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-believe/) [Pond Taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pond-taking-6139888/) [Ponds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ponds/) [Remarkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarkable/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) ## Related quotes > [If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-would-convince-a-man-that-he-does-wrong-do-right-but-do-not/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“While men believe in the infinite some ponds will be thought to be bottomless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-men-believe-in-the-infinite-some-ponds-will-be-thought-to-be/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-would-convince-a-man-that-he-does-wrong-do-right-men-will/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The fishermen say that the "thundering of the pond" scares the fishes and prevents their biting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-fishermen-say-that-the-thundering-of-the-pond-scares-the-fishes/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [White Pond and Walden are great crystals on the surface of the earth, Lakes of Light… They are too pure to have a market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/white-pond-and-walden-are-great-crystals-on-the-surface-of-the-earth/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am no more lonely than the loon in the pond that laughs so loud, or than Walden Pond itself. 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-got-up-early-and-bathed-in-the-pond-that-was-a-religious-exercise/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-not-lived-there-a-week-before-my-feet-wore-a-path-from-my-door/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The largest pond is as sensitive to atmospheric changes as the globule of mercury in its tube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-largest-pond-is-as-sensitive-to-atmospheric-changes-as-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-field-of-water-betrays-the-spirit-that-is-in-the-air-it-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [For hours, in fall days, I watched the ducks cunningly tack and veer and hold the middle of the pond, far from the sportsman;...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/for-hours-in-fall-days-i-watched-the-ducks-cunningly-tack-and-veer/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Ice is an interesting subject for contemplation. They told me that they had some in the ice-houses at Fresh Pond five years old which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/ice-is-an-interesting-subject-for-contemplation-they-told-me-that/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The seeds of the life of fishes are everywhere disseminated, whether the winds waft them, or the waters float them, or the deep earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-seeds-of-the-life-of-fishes-are-everywhere-disseminated-whether/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The opening of large tracts by the ice-cutters commonly causes a pond to break up earlier; for the water, agitated by the wind, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-opening-of-large-tracts-by-the-ice-cutters-commonly-causes-a-pond/) [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. 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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 Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. 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It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-believe-in-the-bottomlessness-of-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-believe-in-the-bottomlessness-of-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-belie_2423203.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to…” — 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": "It is remarkable how long men...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-believe-in-the-bottomlessness-of-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-remarkable-how-long-men-will-believe-in-the-bottomlessness-of-a/#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 } } ] } ```