--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns…" description: "\"The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way into the secrets of things.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg" --- # The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way… ![“The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way into the secrets of things.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg) > “The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way into the secrets of things.” [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 mind cuts through complexity, revealing hidden truths by dissecting and analyzing. **In simple terms:** Thought can split problems to uncover secrets. Key Takeaway Use critical analysis to uncover deeper meaning. Themes philosophy analysis insight Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research - problem solving - creative writing - self‑reflection Key Concepts critical thinking clarity dissection Questions to Reflect On - When does analysis become a hindrance? - How can intuition complement rigorous thought? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can lead to paralysis; intuition also matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleaver/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) ## Related quotes > [Secrets are things we give to others to keep for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/secrets-are-things-we-give-to-others-to-keep-for-us/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [“Keeping big secrets, particularly secrets about things of one's own doing, is a tough proposition for even very bright people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/keeping-big-secrets-particularly-secrets-about-things-of-one-s-own/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Those secrets are things that most people don't learn, because they are not enthusiastic enough, or bright enough, or patient enough, or funny enough;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/those-secrets-are-things-that-most-people-don-t-learn-because-they/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You don't have to know anything about art to appreciate it or to look at it. There aren't any hidden secrets or things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-haring/you-don-t-have-to-know-anything-about-art-to-appreciate-it-or-to-look/) [Keith Haring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-haring/) > [After all, everybody has secrets and there are some things that nobody knows about you but only you, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halle-berry/after-all-everybody-has-secrets-and-there-are-some-things-that-nobody/) [Halle Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halle-berry/) > [“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” —Mexican proverb There are some secrets we don’t share because they’re embarrassing. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/they-tried-to-bury-us-they-didn-t-know-we-were-seeds-mexican-proverb/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [Many things which are called 'secrets' are only things withheld from people until they can understand or effectively experience them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/many-things-which-are-called-secrets-are-only-things-withheld-from/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“In life, we have secrets, things we regret, dreams we can’t reach and a love that we will never forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reviandari-azmi/in-life-we-have-secrets-things-we-regret-dreams-we-can-t-reach-and-a/) ReviAndari Azmi > [“The cleaver is not just for cutting. Invert it and its blunt spine can be used to pound meat to a paste for meatballs:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fuchsia-dunlop/the-cleaver-is-not-just-for-cutting-invert-it-and-its-blunt-spine-can/) Fuchsia Dunlop > [ I don't want people to think he \[Eldridge Cleaver\] is so important - our party is important because our party works for the people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/i-don-t-want-people-to-think-he-eldridge-cleaver-is-so-important-our/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [The place looks like where David Lynch would meet Beaver Cleaver's mom for secret afternoons of bondage and milkshakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/the-place-looks-like-where-david-lynch-would-meet-beaver-cleaver-s/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [Much has happened since last we met, Bartimaeus," he went on. "Do you remember how we parted?" "No." I did. "You set light to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-stroud/much-has-happened-since-last-we-met-bartimaeus-he-went-on-do-you/) [Jonathan Stroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-stroud/) > [I feel that I can't do certain things that have sent to me, scripts, because I think that really - I've been June Cleaver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-billingsley/i-feel-that-i-can-t-do-certain-things-that-have-sent-to-me-scripts/) [Barbara Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-billingsley/) > [What is that in his hand?" "A cleaver. As in-" "Butcher's knife." "You got it." "I hope not." "He does not look happy." "Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/what-is-that-in-his-hand-a-cleaver-as-in-butcher-s-knife-you-got-it-i/) [Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/) > [June Cleaver didn't keep her house in perfect order, the prop man did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-billingsley/june-cleaver-didn-t-keep-her-house-in-perfect-order-the-prop-man-did/) [Barbara Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-billingsley/) ## 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 Cleaver quotes > [June Cleaver didn't keep her house in perfect order, the prop man did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-billingsley/june-cleaver-didn-t-keep-her-house-in-perfect-order-the-prop-man-did/) [Barbara Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-billingsley/) > [What is that in his hand?" "A cleaver. As in-" "Butcher's knife." "You got it." "I hope not." "He does not look happy." "Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/what-is-that-in-his-hand-a-cleaver-as-in-butcher-s-knife-you-got-it-i/) [Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/) > [I feel that I can't do certain things that have sent to me, scripts, because I think that really - I've been June Cleaver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-billingsley/i-feel-that-i-can-t-do-certain-things-that-have-sent-to-me-scripts/) [Barbara Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-billingsley/) > [Much has happened since last we met, Bartimaeus," he went on. "Do you remember how we parted?" "No." I did. "You set light to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-stroud/much-has-happened-since-last-we-met-bartimaeus-he-went-on-do-you/) [Jonathan Stroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-stroud/) > [The place looks like where David Lynch would meet Beaver Cleaver's mom for secret afternoons of bondage and milkshakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/the-place-looks-like-where-david-lynch-would-meet-beaver-cleaver-s/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [ I don't want people to think he \[Eldridge Cleaver\] is so important - our party is important because our party works for the people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/i-don-t-want-people-to-think-he-eldridge-cleaver-is-so-important-our/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [“The cleaver is not just for cutting. Invert it and its blunt spine can be used to pound meat to a paste for meatballs:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fuchsia-dunlop/the-cleaver-is-not-just-for-cutting-invert-it-and-its-blunt-spine-can/) Fuchsia Dunlop > [“Nathan's cleaver came down right where he'd been standing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/nathan-s-cleaver-came-down-right-where-he-d-been-standing/) [Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/) > [“You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. " Eldridge Cleaver”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eldridge-cleaver/you-are-either-part-of-the-solution-or-part-of-the-problem-eldridge/) [Eldridge Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eldridge-cleaver/) > [Bad news drives out good news. The irrational is more controversial than the rational. Concurrence can no longer compete with dissent. One minute of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/bad-news-drives-out-good-news-the-irrational-is-more-controversial/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) > [Reagan loved and respected his father, Jack Reagan. But if there was a father figure to Reagan in the religious sense, it was Ben…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/reagan-loved-and-respected-his-father-jack-reagan-but-if-there-was-a/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [In 1967, the students at San Francisco State invited the poet Amiri Baraka to the campus for a semester. He attracted other influential black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-glover/in-1967-the-students-at-san-francisco-state-invited-the-poet-amiri/) [Danny Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-glover/) > [& if -they- got beef I'm the meat cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/if-they-got-beef-i-m-the-meat-cleaver/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [There'll be blood on the cleaver tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-smiths/there-ll-be-blood-on-the-cleaver-tonight/) [The Smiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-smiths/) > [If you declare that you are naturally designed for such a diet, then first kill for yourself what you want to eat. Do it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/if-you-declare-that-you-are-naturally-designed-for-such-a-diet-then/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) [Browse all 31 Cleaver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleaver/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way into the secrets of things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-and-rifts-its-way-into-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cleaver" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-and-rifts-its-way-into-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/henry-david-thoreau-20_cleaver_the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-a_3121751.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way into the secrets of things.” — 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": "The intellect is a cleaver; it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-and-rifts-its-way-into-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-intellect-is-a-cleaver-it-discerns-and-rifts-its-way-into-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 } } ] } ```