--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste…" description: "\"Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg" --- # Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as… ![“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg) > “Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.” [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. Human flight would devastate Earth, reminding us to respect ecological limits and cherish the planet’s finite space. **In simple terms:** Flying would harm Earth; respect limits. Key Takeaway Protect the planet’s space. Themes environment humility responsibility Mood concerned thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - urban planning - transport policy - personal travel - education curricula Key Concepts ecology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance innovation with stewardship? - What limits should we set on expansion? A Different Perspective Technological progress may still be sustainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/getting-and-spending-we-lay-waste-our-powers/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [The sky is more beautiful than earth, and I want the sky, not earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hegazi/the-sky-is-more-beautiful-than-earth-and-i-want-the-sky-not-earth/) [Sarah Hegazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hegazi/) > [Lay waste to a friend killing all the past. Pray that all is forgotten lost my better half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-label-society/lay-waste-to-a-friend-killing-all-the-past-pray-that-all-is-forgotten/) [Black Label Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-label-society/) > ["I am afraid that God has sent these men to lay waste the world".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-palamas/i-am-afraid-that-god-has-sent-these-men-to-lay-waste-the-world/) [Gregory Palamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-palamas/) > [“if i were rain, that join sky and earth that otherwise never touch, could i join two hearths as well?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/if-i-were-rain-that-join-sky-and-earth-that-otherwise-never-touch/) [Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/) > [Sky above me,Earth below me,Fire within me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn/sky-above-me-earth-below-me-fire-within-me/) [Kaitlyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn/) > [“When he touches me, the sky and the earth switch places.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-doughton/when-he-touches-me-the-sky-and-the-earth-switch-places/) [Autumn Doughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-doughton/) > [Sometimes he could almost forget that it was there, the way you forget about the sky or the earth underfoot, but there were other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-he-could-almost-forget-that-it-was-there-the-way-you-forget/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It was Bjørn’s favorite time of evening. The sun hid its fatt butt behind the horizon leaving little more than an ambient glow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxximillian-dafoe/it-was-bj-rn-s-favorite-time-of-evening-the-sun-hid-its-fatt-butt/) Maxximillian Dafoe > [We are the children equally of the Sky and the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-the-children-equally-of-the-sky-and-the-earth/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [If I were rain, That joins sky and earth that otherwise never touch, Could I join two hearts as well?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/if-i-were-rain-that-joins-sky-and-earth-that-otherwise-never-touch/) [Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/) > [In every landscape, the point of astonishment is the meeting of the sky and the earth, and that is seen from the first hillock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-every-landscape-the-point-of-astonishment-is-the-meeting-of-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [That is the earth, he thought. Not a globe thousands of kilometers around, but a forest with a shining lake, a house hidden at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/that-is-the-earth-he-thought-not-a-globe-thousands-of-kilometers/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Lightning. Once it has forked, hot-white, from sky to earth, there is no going back”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/lightning-once-it-has-forked-hot-white-from-sky-to-earth-there-is-no/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Furniture! Thank God, I can sit and I can stand without the aid of a furniture warehouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/furniture-thank-god-i-can-sit-and-i-can-stand-without-the-aid-of-a/) [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 God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-the-sky-as-well-as-the-earth/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-the-sky-as-well-as-the-earth/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b92/henry-david-thoreau-20_god_thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-t_1984467.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.” — 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": "Thank God men cannot fly, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-the-sky-as-well-as-the-earth/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/thank-god-men-cannot-fly-and-lay-waste-the-sky-as-well-as-the-earth/#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 } } ] } ```