--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are older by faith than by experience." description: "\"We are older by faith than by experience.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg" --- # We are older by faith than by experience. ![“We are older by faith than by experience.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg) > “We are older by faith than by experience.” [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. Faith ages us more than lived experiences do. **In simple terms:** Faith makes us older than experience. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner belief beyond external events. Themes faith experience age Mood contemplative philosophical Type spiritual existential When to use this quote - religious practice - personal development - life philosophy Key Concepts spiritual growth philosophical reflection existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - How does faith shape your perception of time? - Can experience replace faith? A Different Perspective Faith without experience can become detached from reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-experience-1299135/) [Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older/) [Older Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-faith-1608035/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [The predominant teachings of this age are that there are no limits to man's capacity to govern others and that, therefore, no limitations ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/the-predominant-teachings-of-this-age-are-that-there-are-no-limits-to/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [You must work to keep your faith alive. You must have faith and experience in order to live life fully. You must have faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-work-to-keep-your-faith-alive-you-must-have-faith-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know if any specific religion is the one to subscribe to. I'm not saying, one way or the other. I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal-batmanglij/i-don-t-know-if-any-specific-religion-is-the-one-to-subscribe-to-i-m/) [Zal Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zal-batmanglij/) > [My faith experience, well, as you can imagine, you need a lot of faith to raise five boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-romney/my-faith-experience-well-as-you-can-imagine-you-need-a-lot-of-faith/) [Ann Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-romney/) > [Put faith in one who's had experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-faith-in-one-who-s-had-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't need faith. I have experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/i-don-t-need-faith-i-have-experience/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I don't have faith, I have experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/i-don-t-have-faith-i-have-experience/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“If you can work through the evidence, your faith and your experience will be much stronger in the end – and you won’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-thompson/if-you-can-work-through-the-evidence-your-faith-and-your-experience/) [Alden Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-thompson/) > [The moment you have faith, there is the experience. The moment you have trust, there is realization, there is enlightenment. Then this world no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurumayi-chidvilasananda/the-moment-you-have-faith-there-is-the-experience-the-moment-you-have/) [Gurumayi Chidvilasananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurumayi-chidvilasananda/) > [We will experience the life we have the faith to experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/we-will-experience-the-life-we-have-the-faith-to-experience/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [I don't have to have faith, I have experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/i-don-t-have-to-have-faith-i-have-experience/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Learning by faith and from experience are two of the central features of the Father's plan of happiness. The Savior preserved moral agency through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/learning-by-faith-and-from-experience-are-two-of-the-central-features/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [In this connection, faith and experience teach us many truths by means of the short-cut of authority and by the proofs of very pleasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/in-this-connection-faith-and-experience-teach-us-many-truths-by-means/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [When one of my friends becomes a Christian, which happens about every 10 years because I am a sheep about sharing my faith, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/when-one-of-my-friends-becomes-a-christian-which-happens-about-every/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I began to meet young men and women who talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and while I cherish my Catholic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-began-to-meet-young-men-and-women-who-talked-about-having-a/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) ## 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 Experience quotes > [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education. Education plus experience equals expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bugeja/education-is-a-lifelong-experience-experience-is-a-lifelong-education/) [Michael Bugeja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bugeja/) > [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/) [Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I've had a great experience with pretty much everybody I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/i-ve-had-a-great-experience-with-pretty-much-everybody-i-ve-worked/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [It wasn't a mistake, it was a fun learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-a-mistake-it-was-a-fun-learning-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) [Browse all 11,792 Experience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are older by faith than by experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Experience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience_2561281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are older by faith than by experience.” — 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": "We are older by faith than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-older-by-faith-than-by-experience/#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 } } ] } ```