--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What a pity if we do not live this short…" description: "\"What a pity if we do not live this short time according to the laws of the long time,--the eternal laws!\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg" --- # What a pity if we do not live this short time according to… ![“What a pity if we do not live this short time according to the laws of the long time,--the eternal laws!” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg) > “What a pity if we do not live this short time according to the laws of the long time,--the eternal laws!” [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. Urges living according to long-term natural laws rather than short-term human conventions. **In simple terms:** Live by timeless natural principles. Key Takeaway Align actions with enduring laws. Themes philosophy nature time Mood reflective philosophical Type thoughtful contemplative When to use this quote - environmental activism - personal lifestyle choices - educational curricula Key Concepts Ecology ethics temporal perspective Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance short-term demands with long-term ecological wisdom? - What does “eternal law” mean today? A Different Perspective May idealize nature over practical human needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The fundamental laws are in the long run merely statements that every event is itself and not some different event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-fundamental-laws-are-in-the-long-run-merely-statements-that-every/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Time is the eternal now, seen through the narrow slit of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-spira/time-is-the-eternal-now-seen-through-the-narrow-slit-of-the-mind/) [Rupert Spira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-spira/) > [When you have an intense contact of love with nature or another human being, like a spark, then you understand that there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-you-have-an-intense-contact-of-love-with-nature-or-another-human/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [God designed the world in such a way that everything functions on principles. Principles are eternal laws established and inherent in creation that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/god-designed-the-world-in-such-a-way-that-everything-functions-on/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [All time is eternal, moving inexorably toward an end which we believe is a result of our actions, but over which our control is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/all-time-is-eternal-moving-inexorably-toward-an-end-which-we-believe/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Ask what Time is, it is nothing else but something of eternal duration become finite, measurable and transitory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/ask-what-time-is-it-is-nothing-else-but-something-of-eternal-duration/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [Time is not eternal but was created by God at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lang/time-is-not-eternal-but-was-created-by-god-at-the-beginning/) [Walter Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lang/) > [“My people understood that time is an ocean, not a river. It doesn't flow away and pour itself out, done and gone. It simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/my-people-understood-that-time-is-an-ocean-not-a-river-it-doesn-t/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [As the lesser is always found within the greater, so this principle holds true with regards to time and the eternal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/as-the-lesser-is-always-found-within-the-greater-so-this-principle/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [I belong to no race nor time. I am the eternal feminine with its string of beads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/i-belong-to-no-race-nor-time-i-am-the-eternal-feminine-with-its/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Time is an eternal guest that banquets on our ideals and bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/time-is-an-eternal-guest-that-banquets-on-our-ideals-and-bodies/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Every second that passes is like a door that opens to allow in what has not yet happened, what we call the future, but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/every-second-that-passes-is-like-a-door-that-opens-to-allow-in-what/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [The present moment is the only time that is eternal and the only time in which we can experience happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-present-moment-is-the-only-time-that-is-eternal-and-the-only-time/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“Time is too swift for those who fear, too long for those who wait, too short for those who finally find peace, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/time-is-too-swift-for-those-who-fear-too-long-for-those-who-wait-too/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [If there is no after life and time is eternal. That means nothing we do in life really matters. So all that really matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-there-is-no-after-life-and-time-is-eternal-that-means-nothing-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Eternal quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [“Please not yet. Those are the three eternal words. Please not yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/please-not-yet-those-are-the-three-eternal-words-please-not-yet/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-remain-an-eternal-optimist-about-love-i-believe-in-love/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [The time has come for us to understand that the Eternal Feminine is the greatest power in this Universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samael-aun-weor/the-time-has-come-for-us-to-understand-that-the-eternal-feminine-is/) [Samael Aun Weor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samael-aun-weor/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [We are eternal. All this pain is an illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/we-are-eternal-all-this-pain-is-an-illusion/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [In some respects I will never die. Because art is immortal. What we leave behind and what we create - the energy that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/in-some-respects-i-will-never-die-because-art-is-immortal-what-we/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [The only way to have eternal love is to never let your heart forget what it’s like to live without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/the-only-way-to-have-eternal-love-is-to-never-let-your-heart-forget/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [In the course of our eternal existence, we spend infinitely more time in the spirit world on the other side than we spend in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/in-the-course-of-our-eternal-existence-we-spend-infinitely-more-time/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [The propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-propitious-smiles-of-heaven-can-never-be-expected-on-a-nation/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If our faith in God is not the veriest sham, it demands, and will produce, the abandonment sometimes, the subordination always, of external helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/if-our-faith-in-god-is-not-the-veriest-sham-it-demands-and-will/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) [Browse all 3,280 Eternal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What a pity if we do not live this short time according to the laws of the long time,--the eternal laws!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short-time-according-to-the-laws/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eternal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short-time-according-to-the-laws/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/henry-david-thoreau-20_eternal_what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short_2373193.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What a pity if we do not live this short time according to the laws of the long time,--the eternal laws!” — 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": "What a pity if we do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short-time-according-to-the-laws/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-pity-if-we-do-not-live-this-short-time-according-to-the-laws/#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 } } ] } ```