--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man who is dissatisfied with himself…" description: "\"The man who is dissatisfied with himself, what can he do?\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg" --- # The man who is dissatisfied with himself, what can he do? ![“The man who is dissatisfied with himself, what can he do?” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg) > “The man who is dissatisfied with himself, what can he do?” [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. Self‑dissatisfaction prevents meaningful action; personal contentment is prerequisite for effective deeds. **In simple terms:** If you’re unhappy with yourself, you can’t do much. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑acceptance before acting. Themes self‑improvement contentment action Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - career decisions - relationship building Key Concepts existentialism self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What changes would you make if you accepted yourself? - How does self‑acceptance enable contribution? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism can paralyze progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dissatisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissatisfied/) [Man Dissatisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-dissatisfied-3042278/) ## Related quotes > [Freud, Sigmund: A man so dissatisfied with his own mother and father that he devoted his life to convincing everyone who would listen —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/freud-sigmund-a-man-so-dissatisfied-with-his-own-mother-and-father/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [A regular council was held with the Indians, who had come in on their ponies, and speeches were made on both sides through an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-regular-council-was-held-with-the-indians-who-had-come-in-on-their/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A willing, cheerful worker, with his heart in his job, will turn out more work and more satisfactory work in 44 hours than an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/a-willing-cheerful-worker-with-his-heart-in-his-job-will-turn-out/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [Well I DO want to go up into space, but more than that, I'm dissatisfied with the fact that humans have only gone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takafumi-horie/well-i-do-want-to-go-up-into-space-but-more-than-that-i-m/) [Takafumi Horie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takafumi-horie/) > [If you're dissatisfied anywhere, New York is the place to be. If you're unhappy at college in Topeka, I don't know what there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-mckay/if-you-re-dissatisfied-anywhere-new-york-is-the-place-to-be-if-you-re/) [Nellie McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-mckay/) > [Jacob wrote that the true poet 'is like a man who is happy anywhere, in endless measure, if he is allowed to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jacob-wrote-that-the-true-poet-is-like-a-man-who-is-happy-anywhere-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a reformer the liberal is dissatisfied with things as they are because they violate his exceptionally tender conscience… Liberalism does not advocate change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-barton-perry/as-a-reformer-the-liberal-is-dissatisfied-with-things-as-they-are/) [Ralph Barton Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-barton-perry/) > [I feel like I'm moving from a world where I was creating fantasies that weren't real inside - and very often feeling really dissatisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-moving-from-a-world-where-i-was-creating-fantasies/) [Damien Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-rice/) > [The inspiration to write? Perhaps it's not so much inspiration, as a NEED to write. I get itchy and guilty and dissatisfied when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-brown/the-inspiration-to-write-perhaps-it-s-not-so-much-inspiration-as-a/) [Eric Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-brown/) > [God will cleanse your sins if you yourself are dissatisfied with yourself and will keep on changing until you are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/god-will-cleanse-your-sins-if-you-yourself-are-dissatisfied-with/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [Many of the factors that we think will cause motivation, such as fair pay and a good manager, won't make you love your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/many-of-the-factors-that-we-think-will-cause-motivation-such-as-fair/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [It is no easy task to walk this earth and find peace. Inside of us, it would seem, something is at odds with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/it-is-no-easy-task-to-walk-this-earth-and-find-peace-inside-of-us-it/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [Research is an organized method of trying to find out what you are going to do after you cannot do what you are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/research-is-an-organized-method-of-trying-to-find-out-what-you-are/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) ## 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 Dissatisfied quotes > [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [Research is an organized method of trying to find out what you are going to do after you cannot do what you are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/research-is-an-organized-method-of-trying-to-find-out-what-you-are/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [It is no easy task to walk this earth and find peace. Inside of us, it would seem, something is at odds with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/it-is-no-easy-task-to-walk-this-earth-and-find-peace-inside-of-us-it/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [Many of the factors that we think will cause motivation, such as fair pay and a good manager, won't make you love your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/many-of-the-factors-that-we-think-will-cause-motivation-such-as-fair/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [God will cleanse your sins if you yourself are dissatisfied with yourself and will keep on changing until you are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/god-will-cleanse-your-sins-if-you-yourself-are-dissatisfied-with/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [The inspiration to write? Perhaps it's not so much inspiration, as a NEED to write. I get itchy and guilty and dissatisfied when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-brown/the-inspiration-to-write-perhaps-it-s-not-so-much-inspiration-as-a/) [Eric Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-brown/) > [I feel like I'm moving from a world where I was creating fantasies that weren't real inside - and very often feeling really dissatisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-moving-from-a-world-where-i-was-creating-fantasies/) [Damien Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-rice/) > [As a reformer the liberal is dissatisfied with things as they are because they violate his exceptionally tender conscience… Liberalism does not advocate change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-barton-perry/as-a-reformer-the-liberal-is-dissatisfied-with-things-as-they-are/) [Ralph Barton Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-barton-perry/) > [Jacob wrote that the true poet 'is like a man who is happy anywhere, in endless measure, if he is allowed to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jacob-wrote-that-the-true-poet-is-like-a-man-who-is-happy-anywhere-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're dissatisfied anywhere, New York is the place to be. If you're unhappy at college in Topeka, I don't know what there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-mckay/if-you-re-dissatisfied-anywhere-new-york-is-the-place-to-be-if-you-re/) [Nellie McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-mckay/) > [Well I DO want to go up into space, but more than that, I'm dissatisfied with the fact that humans have only gone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takafumi-horie/well-i-do-want-to-go-up-into-space-but-more-than-that-i-m/) [Takafumi Horie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takafumi-horie/) > [A willing, cheerful worker, with his heart in his job, will turn out more work and more satisfactory work in 44 hours than an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/a-willing-cheerful-worker-with-his-heart-in-his-job-will-turn-out/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [A regular council was held with the Indians, who had come in on their ponies, and speeches were made on both sides through an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-regular-council-was-held-with-the-indians-who-had-come-in-on-their/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am a strong believer in the ability of human beings to change for the better. I am a strong believer in trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-am-a-strong-believer-in-the-ability-of-human-beings-to-change-for/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) [Browse all 217 Dissatisfied quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissatisfied/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The man who is dissatisfied with himself, what can he do?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself-what-can-he-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dissatisfied" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself-what-can-he-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/henry-david-thoreau-20_dissatisfied_the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself_2742959.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The man who is dissatisfied with himself, what can he do?” — 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 man who is dissatisfied with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself-what-can-he-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-man-who-is-dissatisfied-with-himself-what-can-he-do/#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 } } ] } ```