--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not till we are completely lost, or…" description: "\"Not till we are completely lost, or turned round, do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg" --- # Not till we are completely lost, or turned round, do we… ![“Not till we are completely lost, or turned round, do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg) > “Not till we are completely lost, or turned round, do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature.” [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. Only when we lose our bearings or feel disoriented do we truly sense nature's immense and alien qualities. **In simple terms:** We notice nature's greatness when we feel lost. Key Takeaway Embrace disorientation to deepen appreciation of nature. Themes nature perspective wonder Mood contemplative reverent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - hiking - travel - urban living - creative blocks Key Concepts existential reflection environmental awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does feeling lost change your view of the world? - What moments of disorientation have revealed new insights? A Different Perspective Even when lost, fear can dominate, obscuring appreciation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciate/) [Appreciate Vastness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciate-vastness-1326266/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Rounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rounds/) [Strangeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangeness/) [Strangeness Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangeness-nature-659854/) [Vastness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vastness/) [Vastness Strangeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vastness-strangeness-3727682/) ## Related quotes > [In our most trivial walks, we are constantly, though unconsciously, steering like pilots by certain well-known beacons and headlands, and if we go beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-our-most-trivial-walks-we-are-constantly-though-unconsciously/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“My reader, I know, is one who would not thank me for an elaborate reproduction of poetic first impressions; and it is well, inasmuch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-reader-i-know-is-one-who-would-not-thank-me-for-an-elaborate/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [It is the very strangeness of nature that makes science engrossing. That ought to be at the center of science teaching. There are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-is-the-very-strangeness-of-nature-that-makes-science-engrossing/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“It is a surprising and memorable, as well as valuable experience, to be lost in the woods any time. Often in a snow storm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-a-surprising-and-memorable-as-well-as-valuable-experience-to-be-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Men nowhere, east or west, live yet a natural life, round which the vine clings, and which the elm willingly shadows. Man would desecrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-nowhere-east-or-west-live-yet-a-natural-life-round-which-the-vine/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I do not wish to quarrel with any man or nation. I do not wish to split hairs, to make fine distinctions, or set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-wish-to-quarrel-with-any-man-or-nation-i-do-not-wish-to/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We also maintain - again with perfect truth - that mystery is more than half of beauty, the element of strangeness that stirs the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-le-gallienne/we-also-maintain-again-with-perfect-truth-that-mystery-is-more-than/) [Richard Le Gallienne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-le-gallienne/) > [“...only think a moment that we are here now, and that that was then, and it has come to this, and how odd, odd,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/only-think-a-moment-that-we-are-here-now-and-that-that-was-then-and/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) > […he is unlike the other customers. They sense it too, and look at him with hard eyes, eyes like little metal studs pinned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-is-unlike-the-other-customers-they-sense-it-too-and-look-at-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The great adventures of life, the surprise of strangers, of strangeness, of the electric and eclectic moments of happenstance, and also of extreme ambition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/the-great-adventures-of-life-the-surprise-of-strangers-of-strangeness/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“I was attracted to the strangeness of his mind as a psychiatrist might have been drawn to an interesting case. he wanted a resident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-harrower/i-was-attracted-to-the-strangeness-of-his-mind-as-a-psychiatrist/) [Elizabeth Harrower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-harrower/) > [It is the addition of strangeness to beauty that constitutes the romantic character in art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-hagen/it-is-the-addition-of-strangeness-to-beauty-that-constitutes-the/) [Walter Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-hagen/) > [It is the property of things seen for the first time, or for the first time after long, like the flowers in spring, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/it-is-the-property-of-things-seen-for-the-first-time-or-for-the-first/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“Oh, stop it, I tell myself. Stop looking for links and meaning and explanations. What did De Chirico say? The world is a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/oh-stop-it-i-tell-myself-stop-looking-for-links-and-meaning-and/) [Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## 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 Appreciate quotes > [All I hear is the people that appreciate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hardy/all-i-hear-is-the-people-that-appreciate-me/) [Greg Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hardy/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Time is really gold,spent it wisely with the people around you.Spread love,appreciate the beauty around you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jglargosta/time-is-really-gold-spent-it-wisely-with-the-people-around-you-spread/) [Jglargosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jglargosta/) > [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [The connoisseur of art must be able to appreciate what is simply beautiful, but the common run of people is satisfied with ornament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-connoisseur-of-art-must-be-able-to-appreciate-what-is-simply/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [This time, there were no drugs involved. The hours were completely normal daytime hours. I think we were able to appreciate the interplay, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/this-time-there-were-no-drugs-involved-the-hours-were-completely/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [I would like beautiful gymnastics to be recognized as the best. I want the judges to appreciate things that are not necessarily winning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohei-uchimura/i-would-like-beautiful-gymnastics-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-i-want/) [Kohei Uchimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohei-uchimura/) > [One of the most important rules for success is this: Every great success is the result of hundreds and thousands of small efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-of-the-most-important-rules-for-success-is-this-every-great/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [It's great at this stage in my life to still be in the running, that people appreciate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/it-s-great-at-this-stage-in-my-life-to-still-be-in-the-running-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Love is too wonderful for us but why we often times do not ever appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamad-idrus/love-is-too-wonderful-for-us-but-why-we-often-times-do-not-ever/) [Mohamad Idrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamad-idrus/) > [I think the most important thing is to stay hopeful, to believe wonderful things are possible and do your best. Basically, to not give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-a-hoffman/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-stay-hopeful-to-believe/) [Irena A. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-a-hoffman/) > [“Admire and appreciate your man and he will be happy on your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/admire-and-appreciate-your-man-and-he-will-be-happy-on-your-side/) [Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/) [Browse all 3,873 Appreciate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Not till we are completely lost, or turned round, do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turned-round-do-we-appreciate-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appreciate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turned-round-do-we-appreciate-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/henry-david-thoreau-20_appreciate_not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turne_2246778.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not till we are completely lost, or turned round, do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature.” — 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": "Not till we are completely lost,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turned-round-do-we-appreciate-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/not-till-we-are-completely-lost-or-turned-round-do-we-appreciate-the/#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 } } ] } ```