---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is surprising how many great men and…"
description: "\"It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, at once under my r..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/henry-david-thoreau-20_body_it-is-surprising-how-many-great-men-and_3033050.jpg"
---

#  It is surprising how many great men and women a small…

![“It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, at once under my roof, and yet we often parted without being aware that we had come very near to one another.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/henry-david-thoreau-20_body_it-is-surprising-how-many-great-men-and_3033050.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/henry-david-thoreau-20_body_it-is-surprising-how-many-great-men-and_3033050.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/henry-david-thoreau-20_body_it-is-surprising-how-many-great-men-and_3033050.jpg)

> “It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, at once under my roof, and yet we often parted without being aware that we had come very near to one another.”

[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.

A small house can hold many souls; we often share space without truly connecting.

**In simple terms:** Close living quarters hide deeper connections.

Key Takeaway

Seek deeper connections with those around you.

Themes

community intimacy solitude

Mood

contemplative nostalgic

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- roommates
- family homes
- co-living
- hostels

Key Concepts

Human connection shared spaces

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you foster true connection in shared spaces?
- What barriers prevent deeper relationships?

A Different Perspective

Physical proximity doesn’t guarantee emotional closeness.

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[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Souls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/souls/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/)

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