---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We may not arrive at our port within a…"
description: "\"“We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period, but we would preserve the true course.”\" — Henry David Thoreau"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg"
---

#  We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period…

![“We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period, but we would preserve the true course.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg)

> ““We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period, but we would preserve the true course.””

[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.

Even without a set timeline, staying true to one's principles guides progress.

**In simple terms:** Stay on course despite uncertainty.

Key Takeaway

Maintain integrity over speed.

Themes

integrity patience direction

Mood

thoughtful steady

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- long‑term projects
- personal growth

Key Concepts

existentialism self‑reliance

Questions to Reflect On

- What core values anchor your decisions?
- How do you handle delays?

A Different Perspective

Time may be unpredictable, making perseverance hard.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [A performance is like a boat. You really want it to arrive at port. So when something goes wrong and it doesn't get there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/a-performance-is-like-a-boat-you-really-want-it-to-arrive-at-port-so/)

[Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/)

> [Art is identical with a state of capacity to make, involving a true course of reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/art-is-identical-with-a-state-of-capacity-to-make-involving-a-true/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [History is the land-mark by which we are directed into the true course of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/history-is-the-land-mark-by-which-we-are-directed-into-the-true/)

[Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/)

> [To preserve wild animals implies generally the creation of a forest for them to dwell in or resort to. So it is with man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/to-preserve-wild-animals-implies-generally-the-creation-of-a-forest/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Why should not we, who have renounced the king's authority, have our national preserves, where no villages need be destroyed, in which the bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/why-should-not-we-who-have-renounced-the-king-s-authority-have-our/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“…Preserve my eyes, which are irreplaceable. Preserve my heart, veins, bones, Against the slow death building in them like hornets until the place is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-merwin-2/preserve-my-eyes-which-are-irreplaceable-preserve-my-heart-veins/)

[W.S. Merwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-merwin-2/)

> [Holocaust denial, once the preserve of fringe conspiracy theorists, has mutated into Holocaust obfuscation, equivocation, and specious comparison on a larger scale than ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ephraim-mirvis/holocaust-denial-once-the-preserve-of-fringe-conspiracy-theorists-has/)

[Ephraim Mirvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ephraim-mirvis/)

> [It's impossible to overstate how my relationship to music forms a preserve for the esoteric or even spiritual aspect of my relationship to cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/it-s-impossible-to-overstate-how-my-relationship-to-music-forms-a/)

[Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/)

> [“The Lord preserve us from sainthood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/the-lord-preserve-us-from-sainthood/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [“Law is made by the winner to preserve victory over the loser.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/law-is-made-by-the-winner-to-preserve-victory-over-the-loser/)

[Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/)

> [Reclassification is the best way to for us to preserve the Internet as an unfettered tool for communication and the sharing of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/reclassification-is-the-best-way-to-for-us-to-preserve-the-internet/)

[Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/)

> [Is it possible to preserve the element of Unknown Places in our national life? Is it practicable to do so, without undue loss in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/is-it-possible-to-preserve-the-element-of-unknown-places-in-our/)

[Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/)

> [Preserve your energy - do not waste it on mediocre activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-wilde/preserve-your-energy-do-not-waste-it-on-mediocre-activity/)

[Stuart Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-wilde/)

> [No price is too great to preserve the health of the fleet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-price-is-too-great-to-preserve-the-health-of-the-fleet/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Human race had never planned to show up in this universe. I wonder whether current human efforts are relevant to its sustainability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/human-race-had-never-planned-to-show-up-in-this-universe-i-wonder/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

## 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 Preserve quotes

> [“Human race had never planned to show up in this universe. I wonder whether current human efforts are relevant to its sustainability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/human-race-had-never-planned-to-show-up-in-this-universe-i-wonder/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [No price is too great to preserve the health of the fleet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-price-is-too-great-to-preserve-the-health-of-the-fleet/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Preserve your energy - do not waste it on mediocre activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-wilde/preserve-your-energy-do-not-waste-it-on-mediocre-activity/)

[Stuart Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-wilde/)

> [Is it possible to preserve the element of Unknown Places in our national life? Is it practicable to do so, without undue loss in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/is-it-possible-to-preserve-the-element-of-unknown-places-in-our/)

[Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/)

> [Reclassification is the best way to for us to preserve the Internet as an unfettered tool for communication and the sharing of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/reclassification-is-the-best-way-to-for-us-to-preserve-the-internet/)

[Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/)

> [“Law is made by the winner to preserve victory over the loser.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/law-is-made-by-the-winner-to-preserve-victory-over-the-loser/)

[Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/)

> [“The Lord preserve us from sainthood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/the-lord-preserve-us-from-sainthood/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [It's impossible to overstate how my relationship to music forms a preserve for the esoteric or even spiritual aspect of my relationship to cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/it-s-impossible-to-overstate-how-my-relationship-to-music-forms-a/)

[Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/)

> [Holocaust denial, once the preserve of fringe conspiracy theorists, has mutated into Holocaust obfuscation, equivocation, and specious comparison on a larger scale than ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ephraim-mirvis/holocaust-denial-once-the-preserve-of-fringe-conspiracy-theorists-has/)

[Ephraim Mirvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ephraim-mirvis/)

> [“…Preserve my eyes, which are irreplaceable. Preserve my heart, veins, bones, Against the slow death building in them like hornets until the place is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-merwin-2/preserve-my-eyes-which-are-irreplaceable-preserve-my-heart-veins/)

[W.S. Merwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-merwin-2/)

> [The intent to preserve and capture something is very different from the urge to share, but they had become intertwined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/the-intent-to-preserve-and-capture-something-is-very-different-from/)

[Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/)

> [Colorado's majestic landscapes are one of our most valuable assets, and it's important that we work to preserve these treasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/colorado-s-majestic-landscapes-are-one-of-our-most-valuable-assets/)

[Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/)

> [ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/ice-contains-no-future-just-the-past-sealed-away-as-if-they-re-alive/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“People are not objects They are not meant for fixing And while I’ve sometimes been able to preserve— You can never revive a dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-v-sawyerr/people-are-not-objects-they-are-not-meant-for-fixing-and-while-i-ve/)

[Hannah V. Sawyerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-v-sawyerr/)

> [“No, how can one preserve one's life and at the same time arrive at the truth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-solschenizyn/no-how-can-one-preserve-one-s-life-and-at-the-same-time-arrive-at-the/)

[Alexander Solschenizyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-solschenizyn/)

Browse all 249 Preserve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period, but we would preserve the true course.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry David Thoreau"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-calculable-period-but-we-would/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Preserve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-calculable-period-but-we-would/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/henry-david-thoreau-20_quote_we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-c_1050134.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period, but we would preserve the true course.” — 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 may not arrive at our...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-calculable-period-but-we-would/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-may-not-arrive-at-our-port-within-a-calculable-period-but-we-would/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
