--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We might try our lives by a thousand…" description: "\"“We might try our lives by a thousand simple tests; as, for instance, that the same sun which ripens my beans illumines at once a system of earths like..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/henry-david-thoreau-20_astronomy_we-might-try-our-lives-by-a-thousand-sim_1114080.jpg" --- # We might try our lives by a thousand simple tests; as, for… ![“We might try our lives by a thousand simple tests; as, for instance, that the same sun which ripens my beans illumines at once a system of earths like ours. If I had remembered this it would have prevented some mistakes. This was not the light in which I hoed them. The stars are the apexes of what…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/henry-david-thoreau-20_astronomy_we-might-try-our-lives-by-a-thousand-sim_1114080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/henry-david-thoreau-20_astronomy_we-might-try-our-lives-by-a-thousand-sim_1114080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/henry-david-thoreau-20_astronomy_we-might-try-our-lives-by-a-thousand-sim_1114080.jpg) > ““We might try our lives by a thousand simple tests; as, for instance, that the same sun which ripens my beans illumines at once a system of earths like ours. If I had remembered this it would have prevented some mistakes. This was not the light in which I hoed them. The stars are the apexes of what wonderful triangles! What distant and different beings in the various mansions of the universe are contemplating the same one at the same moment!”” [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. Contemplating the interconnectedness of all life and the humility of recognizing our small place in the cosmos. **In simple terms:** We are part of a vast, shared universe. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and shared humanity. Themes humility interconnectedness cosmic perspective Mood wonder humble reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - science communication - environmental activism Key Concepts philosophy nature existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing yourself as part of a larger whole affect daily choices? - What responsibilities arise from recognizing shared humanity? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on cosmic scale can distract from immediate responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [The stars are the apexes of what wonderful triangles! What distant and different beings in the various mansions of the universe are contemplating the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-stars-are-the-apexes-of-what-wonderful-triangles-what-distant-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When people try to take their own lives, they often don’t want to be brought back. 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Contemplating the immensity of our cosmos can make you feel very small and insignificant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agapi-stassinopoulos/we-are-living-in-an-inspiring-and-unimaginably-large-universe/) [Agapi Stassinopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agapi-stassinopoulos/) > [“It is possible that those strange sentient beings of the far-future cold universe will find contemplating a warm universe such as ours not very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-nazrul-islam/it-is-possible-that-those-strange-sentient-beings-of-the-far-future/) [Jamal Nazrul Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-nazrul-islam/) > [The sea-shore is a sort of neutral ground, a most advantageous point from which to contemplate the world…There is naked Nature, inhumanly sincere, wasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sea-shore-is-a-sort-of-neutral-ground-a-most-advantageous-point/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [To him whom contemplates a trait of natural beauty, no harm nor despair can come. 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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 Astronomy quotes > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. 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Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ... quote has been credited to Les Brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylviek/shoot-for-the-moon-even-if-you-miss-it-you-will-land-among-the-stars/) Sylviek > [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Browse all 6,190 Astronomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We might try our lives by a thousand simple tests; as, for instance, that the same sun which ripens my beans illumines at once a system of earths like ours. If I had remembered this it would have prevented some mistakes. This was not the light in which I hoed them. The stars are the apexes of what wonderful triangles! 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