--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are underbred and low-lived and…" description: "\"We are underbred and low-lived and illiterate; and in this respect I confess I do not make any very broad distinction between theilliterateness of my t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/henry-david-thoreau-20_antiquity_we-are-underbred-and-low-lived-and-illit_1623057.jpg" --- # We are underbred and low-lived and illiterate; and in this… ![“We are underbred and low-lived and illiterate; and in this respect I confess I do not make any very broad distinction between theilliterateness of my townsman who cannot read at all and the illiterateness of him who has learned to read only what is for children and feeble intellects. We should be…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/henry-david-thoreau-20_antiquity_we-are-underbred-and-low-lived-and-illit_1623057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/henry-david-thoreau-20_antiquity_we-are-underbred-and-low-lived-and-illit_1623057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/henry-david-thoreau-20_antiquity_we-are-underbred-and-low-lived-and-illit_1623057.jpg) > “We are underbred and low-lived and illiterate; and in this respect I confess I do not make any very broad distinction between theilliterateness of my townsman who cannot read at all and the illiterateness of him who has learned to read only what is for children and feeble intellects. We should be as good as the worthies of antiquity, but partly by first knowing how good they were.” [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 critiques contemporary superficial literacy, urging deeper, critical engagement with knowledge and moral exemplars of the past. **In simple terms:** Modern reading is shallow; seek deeper understanding and moral models. Key Takeaway Cultivate profound learning and emulate virtuous ancestors. Themes education morality self-improvement Mood reflective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - academic study - public discourse - teaching - self-education Key Concepts critical literacy historical comparison Questions to Reflect On - How can we move beyond surface reading? - What virtues from antiquity should we emulate? A Different Perspective Shallow literacy may persist despite efforts to deepen it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antiquity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiquity/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Illiterate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illiterate/) [Illiterate Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illiterate-respect-299129/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Lived Illiterate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived-illiterate-299132/) [Lows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lows/) [Read Illiterateness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-illiterateness-299130/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Theilliterateness Townsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theilliterateness-townsman-299131/) ## Related quotes > [“We are underbred and low-lived and illiterate; and in this respect I confess I do not make any very broad distinction between the illiterateness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-underbred-and-low-lived-and-illiterate-and-in-this-respect-i-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Any man will go considerably out of his way to pick up a silver dollar; but here are golden words, which the wisest men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/any-man-will-go-considerably-out-of-his-way-to-pick-up-a-silver/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Ancient history has an air of antiquity. It should be more modern. It is written as if the specator should be thinking of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/ancient-history-has-an-air-of-antiquity-it-should-be-more-modern-it/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We do not associate the idea of antiquity with the ocean, nor wonder how it looked a thousand years ago, as we do of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-do-not-associate-the-idea-of-antiquity-with-the-ocean-nor-wonder/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-heroic-books-even-if-printed-in-the-character-of-our-mother/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Nothing but great antiquity can make graveyards interesting to me. I have no friends there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nothing-but-great-antiquity-can-make-graveyards-interesting-to-me-i/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our own country furnishes antiquities as ancient and durable, and as useful, as any; rocks at least as well covered with lichens,and a soil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-own-country-furnishes-antiquities-as-ancient-and-durable-and-as/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Why will we be imposed on by antiquity?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/why-will-we-be-imposed-on-by-antiquity/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A fortified town is like a man cased in the heavy armor of antiquity, with a horse-load of broadswords and small arms slung to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-fortified-town-is-like-a-man-cased-in-the-heavy-armor-of-antiquity/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Why should Canada, wild and unsettled as it is, impress us as an older country than the States, unless because her institutions are old?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/why-should-canada-wild-and-unsettled-as-it-is-impress-us-as-an-older/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [History has neither the venerableness of antiquity, nor the freshness of the modern. It does as if it would go to the beginning ofthings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/history-has-neither-the-venerableness-of-antiquity-nor-the-freshness/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What is a country without rabbits and partridges? They are among the most simple and indigenous animal products; ancient and venerable families known to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-a-country-without-rabbits-and-partridges-they-are-among-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/everyone-who-wants-to-know-what-will-happen-ought-to-examine-what-has/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Astrology is knocking at the gates of our universities: A Tübingen professor has switched over to astrology and a course on astrology was given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/astrology-is-knocking-at-the-gates-of-our-universities-a-t-bingen/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The clatter of a changing world is not pleasant, and those who have enjoyed the comforts and protection of the old order may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/the-clatter-of-a-changing-world-is-not-pleasant-and-those-who-have/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) ## 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 Antiquity quotes > [The clatter of a changing world is not pleasant, and those who have enjoyed the comforts and protection of the old order may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/the-clatter-of-a-changing-world-is-not-pleasant-and-those-who-have/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Astrology is knocking at the gates of our universities: A Tübingen professor has switched over to astrology and a course on astrology was given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/astrology-is-knocking-at-the-gates-of-our-universities-a-t-bingen/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/everyone-who-wants-to-know-what-will-happen-ought-to-examine-what-has/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [What subsists to-day by violence continues to-morrow by acquiescence and is perpetuated by tradition; till at last the hoary abuse shakes the gray hairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett/what-subsists-to-day-by-violence-continues-to-morrow-by-acquiescence/) [Edward Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett/) > [“Since antiquity, men have defined themselves by those who are excluded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-robinson/since-antiquity-men-have-defined-themselves-by-those-who-are-excluded/) [Jim Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-robinson/) > [While the business of education in Europe consists in lectures upon the ruins of Palmyra and the antiquities of Herculaneum , or in disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/while-the-business-of-education-in-europe-consists-in-lectures-upon/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [In antiquity there was only silence. In the nineteenth century, with the invention of the machine, Noise was born. Today, Noise triumphs and reigns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-russolo/in-antiquity-there-was-only-silence-in-the-nineteenth-century-with/) [Luigi Russolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-russolo/) > [Arles is certainly one of the most interesting towns I have ever seen, whether viewed as a place remarkable for the objects of antiquity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/arles-is-certainly-one-of-the-most-interesting-towns-i-have-ever-seen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An established government has an infinite advantage, by that very circumstance of its being established--the bulk of mankind being governed by authority, not reason,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/an-established-government-has-an-infinite-advantage-by-that-very/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [In antiquity slaves were, in all honesty called slaves. In the middle ages, they took the name of serfs. Nowadays they are called wage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/in-antiquity-slaves-were-in-all-honesty-called-slaves-in-the-middle/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [I was brought up in Florence, a beautiful medieval town whose rhythm is completely in antiquity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oleg-cassini/i-was-brought-up-in-florence-a-beautiful-medieval-town-whose-rhythm/) [Oleg Cassini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oleg-cassini/) > [Although Damascus is considered the oldest city in the world, the date of its foundation going beyond tradition, there are very few relics of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/although-damascus-is-considered-the-oldest-city-in-the-world-the-date/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [“Educated and ambitious, with their own forthright opinions, the women of the Garvey set did more to determine political direction than many councillors. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-septimius/educated-and-ambitious-with-their-own-forthright-opinions-the-women/) [A. H. Septimius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-septimius/) > [Book burning is a charming old custom, hallowed by antiquity. It has been practiced for centuries by fascists, communists, atheists, school children, rival authors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armour/book-burning-is-a-charming-old-custom-hallowed-by-antiquity-it-has/) [Richard Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armour/) [Browse all 244 Antiquity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiquity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are underbred and low-lived and illiterate; and in this respect I confess I do not make any very broad distinction between theilliterateness of my townsman who cannot read at all and the illiterateness of him who has learned to read only what is for children and feeble intellects. 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