--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true reformer does not want time, nor…" description: "\"The true reformer does not want time, nor money, nor coöperation, nor advice. What is time but the stuff delay is made of? And depend upon it, our virt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/henry-david-thoreau-20_advice_the-true-reformer-does-not-want-time-nor_2090718.jpg" --- # The true reformer does not want time, nor money, nor… ![“The true reformer does not want time, nor money, nor coöperation, nor advice. What is time but the stuff delay is made of? And depend upon it, our virtue will not live on the interest of our money. He expects no income, but outgoes; so soon as we begin to count the cost, the cost begins. And as…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/henry-david-thoreau-20_advice_the-true-reformer-does-not-want-time-nor_2090718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/henry-david-thoreau-20_advice_the-true-reformer-does-not-want-time-nor_2090718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/henry-david-thoreau-20_advice_the-true-reformer-does-not-want-time-nor_2090718.jpg) > “The true reformer does not want time, nor money, nor coöperation, nor advice. What is time but the stuff delay is made of? And depend upon it, our virtue will not live on the interest of our money. He expects no income, but outgoes; so soon as we begin to count the cost, the cost begins. And as for advice, the information floating in the atmosphere of society is as evanescent and unserviceable to him as gossamer for clubs of Hercules.” [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. Reformers should reject reliance on external resources like time, money, cooperation, and advice, focusing instead on inner virtue. **In simple terms:** True reformers avoid dependence on external aids. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑reliance and inner virtue. Themes self‑reliance virtue independence critique of materialism Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal development - activism - leadership - ethical decision making Key Concepts philosophy ethical autonomy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What external resources truly hinder your growth? - How can you balance self‑reliance with community support? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self‑reliance can ignore necessary collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Clubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clubs/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Reformers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformers/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [To get a song on radio requires an enormous amount of money and cooperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/to-get-a-song-on-radio-requires-an-enormous-amount-of-money-and/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [One today is worth two tomorrows. Lost time is never found again. Time is money. Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/one-today-is-worth-two-tomorrows-lost-time-is-never-found-again-time/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [People give me advice all the time, and I don't take a blind bit of notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bisping/people-give-me-advice-all-the-time-and-i-don-t-take-a-blind-bit-of/) [Michael Bisping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bisping/) > [If you decided to follow other peoples advice, take time to examine yourself how much you believe in yourself before giving up your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/if-you-decided-to-follow-other-peoples-advice-take-time-to-examine/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [A true Leader asks advice, when he has time to think; but he never asks advice in a crisis. 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Inbox the page your problems... and we will answer them IN theinbox Anything… all us admins are here to help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-advice-time-inbox-the-page-your-problems-and-we-will-answer-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My best advice is this - by the time you meet your Maker, and may it be a long, long time from now, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-carr/my-best-advice-is-this-by-the-time-you-meet-your-maker-and-may-it-be/) [Robyn Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-carr/) > [“Be open to suggestion, no one is so perfect that they may not need advice from time to time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/be-open-to-suggestion-no-one-is-so-perfect-that-they-may-not-need/) [Baltasar Gracián](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [A very few, as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men, serve the state with their conscience also, and so necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-very-few-as-heroes-patriots-martyrs-reformers-in-the-great-sense/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Others -- as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders -- serve the state chiefly with their heads; and, as they rarely make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/others-as-most-legislators-politicians-lawyers-ministers-and-office/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Christ is the prince of Reformers and Radicals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/christ-is-the-prince-of-reformers-and-radicals/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [There are theoretical reformers at all times, and all the world over, living on anticipation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-are-theoretical-reformers-at-all-times-and-all-the-world-over/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is a great pleasure to escape sometimes from the restless class of Reformers. What if these grievances exist? So do you and I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-a-great-pleasure-to-escape-sometimes-from-the-restless-class-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A township where one primitive forest waves above while another primitive forestrots below,such a town is fitted to raise not only corn and potatoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-township-where-one-primitive-forest-waves-above-while-another/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I believe that what so saddens the reformer is not his sympathy with his fellows in distress, but, though he be the holiest son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-believe-that-what-so-saddens-the-reformer-is-not-his-sympathy-with/) [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. 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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 Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) Mak\_786 > [I ask for tips, for advice. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. 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