--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is such a thing as caste, even in…" description: "\"There is such a thing as caste, even in the West; but it is comparatively faint; it is conservatism here. It says, forsake not your calling, outrage no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d32/henry-david-thoreau-20_calling_there-is-such-a-thing-as-caste-even-in-t_2030125.jpg" --- # There is such a thing as caste, even in the West; but it… ![“There is such a thing as caste, even in the West; but it is comparatively faint; it is conservatism here. It says, forsake not your calling, outrage no institution, use no violence, rend no bonds; the State is thy parent. Its virtue or manhood is wholly filial.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d32/henry-david-thoreau-20_calling_there-is-such-a-thing-as-caste-even-in-t_2030125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d32/henry-david-thoreau-20_calling_there-is-such-a-thing-as-caste-even-in-t_2030125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d32/henry-david-thoreau-20_calling_there-is-such-a-thing-as-caste-even-in-t_2030125.jpg) > “There is such a thing as caste, even in the West; but it is comparatively faint; it is conservatism here. It says, forsake not your calling, outrage no institution, use no violence, rend no bonds; the State is thy parent. Its virtue or manhood is wholly filial.” [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. Thoreau warns that even societies claiming equality harbor subtle hierarchies that enforce conformity and obedience to authority. **In simple terms:** Hidden hierarchies shape behavior. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek authentic purpose. Themes conformity authority individualism Mood reflective critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - workplace politics - family expectations - educational institutions - government policies Key Concepts social hierarchy filial piety civil disobedience Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize subtle caste in your life? - What steps can you take to honor personal calling without violence? A Different Perspective The critique may overlook overt oppression and resistance movements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Caste West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caste-west-3724278/) [Castes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castes/) [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Conservatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatism/) [Conservatism Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatism-says-3724277/) [Faint Conservatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faint-conservatism-3724276/) [Filial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filial/) [Forsake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forsake/) [India](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/india/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Manhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manhood/) [Outrage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outrage/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west/) [West Comparatively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-comparatively-3724279/) ## Related quotes > [One of the basic philosophical tenets of conservatism - which says that the more power devolves from the federal government to the states, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/one-of-the-basic-philosophical-tenets-of-conservatism-which-says-that/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [Every sacred book, successively, has been accepted in the faith that it was to be the final resting-place of the sojourning soul;but after all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/every-sacred-book-successively-has-been-accepted-in-the-faith-that-it/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Sometimes children do forget their filial responsibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdullah-ahmad-badawi/sometimes-children-do-forget-their-filial-responsibilities/) [Abdullah Ahmad Badawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdullah-ahmad-badawi/) > [One should put forth great effort in matters of learning. 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Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > […for no matter how lost and soiled and worn-out wandering sons may be, mothers can forgive and forget every thing as they fold them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/for-no-matter-how-lost-and-soiled-and-worn-out-wandering-sons-may-be/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Filial Piety is the principle of Heaven, The righteousness of Earth, And the (proper) conduct of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zengzi/filial-piety-is-the-principle-of-heaven-the-righteousness-of-earth/) [Zengzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zengzi/) > [“L'amour filial est terrifiant; son but est la séparation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gr-goire-delacourt/l-amour-filial-est-terrifiant-son-but-est-la-s-paration/) [Grégoire Delacourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gr-goire-delacourt/) > [I could express my feelings more easily if they could be put into the notes of music, but as the very best concert would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/i-could-express-my-feelings-more-easily-if-they-could-be-put-into-the/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [One who was born in the house of a warrior, regardless of his rank or class, first acquaints himself with a man of military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeda-shingen/one-who-was-born-in-the-house-of-a-warrior-regardless-of-his-rank-or/) [Takeda Shingen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeda-shingen/) > [... professing myself moreover convinced that the general's unjust interference, so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/professing-myself-moreover-convinced-that-the-general-s-unjust/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) ## 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 Calling quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. 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