--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should treat our minds, that is…" description: "\"“We should treat our minds, that is, ourselves, as innocent and ingenuous children, whose guardians we are, and be careful what objects and what subjec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/henry-david-thoreau-20_children_we-should-treat-our-minds-that-is-oursel_339330.jpg" --- # We should treat our minds, that is, ourselves, as innocent… ![“We should treat our minds, that is, ourselves, as innocent and ingenuous children, whose guardians we are, and be careful what objects and what subjects we thrust on their attention. Read not the Times. Read the Eternities.. Knowledge does not come to us by details, but in flashes of light from…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/henry-david-thoreau-20_children_we-should-treat-our-minds-that-is-oursel_339330.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/henry-david-thoreau-20_children_we-should-treat-our-minds-that-is-oursel_339330.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/henry-david-thoreau-20_children_we-should-treat-our-minds-that-is-oursel_339330.jpg) > ““We should treat our minds, that is, ourselves, as innocent and ingenuous children, whose guardians we are, and be careful what objects and what subjects we thrust on their attention. Read not the Times. Read the Eternities.. Knowledge does not come to us by details, but in flashes of light from heaven.”” [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. Cultivate a pure, childlike mind, avoiding superficial distractions, to receive profound insight. **In simple terms:** Keep mind pure, avoid shallow input. Key Takeaway Guard your thoughts, seek depth. Themes mindfulness education purity focus Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - reading philosophy - meditation - creative writing - teaching Key Concepts innocence intuition spiritual insight Questions to Reflect On - What sources clutter your mind? - How can you create space for deeper insight? A Different Perspective Modern media overload can still cloud perception; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Eternities Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternities-knowledge-3157472/) [Guardians Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guardians-careful-3157471/) [Ingenuous Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuous-children-3157470/) [Minds Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minds-innocent-3157468/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Treat Minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-minds-3157469/) ## Related quotes > [We should treat our minds, that is, ourselves, as innocent and ingenuous children, whose guardians we are, and be careful what objects and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-should-treat-our-minds-that-is-ourselves-as-innocent-and-ingenuous-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. 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