--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are in great haste to construct a…" description: "\"“We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate... ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/henry-david-thoreau-20_brave-new-world_we-are-in-great-haste-to-construct-a-mag_3026153.jpg" --- # We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph… ![“We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate... We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the old world some weeks nearer to the new; but perchance the first news that will leak through…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/henry-david-thoreau-20_brave-new-world_we-are-in-great-haste-to-construct-a-mag_3026153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/henry-david-thoreau-20_brave-new-world_we-are-in-great-haste-to-construct-a-mag_3026153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/henry-david-thoreau-20_brave-new-world_we-are-in-great-haste-to-construct-a-mag_3026153.jpg) > ““We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate... We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the old world some weeks nearer to the new; but perchance the first news that will leak through into the broad flapping American ear will be that Princess Adelaide has the whooping cough.”” [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 satirizes the hype of grand projects that may be meaningless, warning against prioritizing novelty over substance. **In simple terms:** Big projects can be pointless if they lack real purpose. Key Takeaway Focus on meaningful communication. Themes technology communication hubris Mood cynical reflective Type satirical critical When to use this quote - political discourse - media hype - infrastructure planning Key Concepts satire critique of progress meaninglessness Questions to Reflect On - What truly valuable information are we trying to share? - How can we assess the real impact of a new technology? A Different Perspective The quote itself may exaggerate for effect, not all projects are futile. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brave new world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave-new-world/) [Old world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-world/) ## Related quotes > [We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-in-great-haste-to-construct-a-magnetic-telegraph-from-maine-to/) [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-3/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Women are legally allowed to be topless in New York, Ohio, Texas as well as Maine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/women-are-legally-allowed-to-be-topless-in-new-york-ohio-texas-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is far more important to communicate that something can be done than it is to communicate what's going wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/makani-n-themba/it-is-far-more-important-to-communicate-that-something-can-be-done/) Makani N. Themba > [It's very important to have that prayer life. It's very important to communicate always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letoya-luckett/it-s-very-important-to-have-that-prayer-life-it-s-very-important-to/) [LeToya Luckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letoya-luckett/) > [It is very important to me to communicate with the fans and not hide what's going on behind the scenes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-allardyce/it-is-very-important-to-me-to-communicate-with-the-fans-and-not-hide/) [Sam Allardyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-allardyce/) > [So I think it's important to communicate with the people in terms of what the real facts are on these proposals and try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podesta/so-i-think-it-s-important-to-communicate-with-the-people-in-terms-of/) [John Podesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podesta/) > [It is important to communicate to children about what we are going through. We often speak in half truths. We don't frame the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/it-is-important-to-communicate-to-children-about-what-we-are-going/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [What is important is to communicate a lot. That's how we manage to create a good understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-varane/what-is-important-is-to-communicate-a-lot-that-s-how-we-manage-to/) [Raphael Varane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-varane/) > [To set us on a clear path, it is important to communicate well, at least with ourselves. To know what we want, to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-altea/to-set-us-on-a-clear-path-it-is-important-to-communicate-well-at/) [Rosemary Altea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-altea/) > [I think it's important that we show up. I think it's important that we communicate directly with all those working people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-it-s-important-that-we-show-up-i-think-it-s-important-that-we/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [I think it is important to communicate how serious climate change is - it would be a disservice not to. But I'm not sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/i-think-it-is-important-to-communicate-how-serious-climate-change-is/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [Television is an important part of how we communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/television-is-an-important-part-of-how-we-communicate/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [What's important for me is to communicate the vision that I have in sound with the audience that's hearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eaton/what-s-important-for-me-is-to-communicate-the-vision-that-i-have-in/) [John Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eaton/) > [I think something that's very important for us to communicate is usually very simple. Like breathing: Breathing is very simple. You don't do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/i-think-something-that-s-very-important-for-us-to-communicate-is/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) ## 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. 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A brave new world beyond the industrial-age belief in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/remote-work-has-opened-the-door-to-a-new-era-of-freedom-and-luxury-a/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [ “They dream of a world in which their simple and radical way of experiencing and perceiving reality would dominate; \[35\] where they would, of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-lobaczewski/they-dream-of-a-world-in-which-their-simple-and-radical-way-of/) [Andrzej Lobaczewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-lobaczewski/) > [“Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink-floyd/did-you-ever-wonder-why-we-had-to-run-for-shelter-when-the-promise-of/) [Pink Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink-floyd/) > [“Huxley grasped, as Orwell did not, that it is not necessary to conceal anything from a public insensible to contradiction and narcotized by technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/huxley-grasped-as-orwell-did-not-that-it-is-not-necessary-to-conceal/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“In regard to propaganda the early advocates of universal literacy and a free press envisaged only two possibilities: the propaganda might be true, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/in-regard-to-propaganda-the-early-advocates-of-universal-literacy-and/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“O brave new world, O brave new world...' In his mind the singing words seemed to change their tune. They had mocked him through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/o-brave-new-world-o-brave-new-world-in-his-mind-the-singing-words/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. 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O brave new world, That has such people in't!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-wonder-how-many-goodly-creatures-are-there-here-how-beauteous/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Browse all 125 Brave new world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave-new-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate... 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