--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You need not rest your reputation on the…" description: "\"You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg" --- # You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give. ![“You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg) > “You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give.” [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. It warns against building reputation solely on hospitality, suggesting deeper values. **In simple terms:** Reputation shouldn't rest only on entertaining guests. Key Takeaway Cultivate substance beyond social gestures. Themes reputation hospitality authenticity Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - networking events - dinner parties - charitable galas Key Concepts Social capital personal branding Questions to Reflect On - What lasting impact do you want to leave? - How can you balance generosity and integrity? A Different Perspective Hospitality can be superficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) ## Related quotes > [We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-only-what-we-are-in-the-dark-all-the-rest-is-reputation/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [My dinners have never interfered with my business. They have been my recreation. . . A public banquet, if eaten with thought and care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/my-dinners-have-never-interfered-with-my-business-they-have-been-my/) [Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/) > [He makes his cook his merit, and the world visits his dinners and not him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/he-makes-his-cook-his-merit-and-the-world-visits-his-dinners-and-not/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [A lot of business can be accomplished in the state dinners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/a-lot-of-business-can-be-accomplished-in-the-state-dinners/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [Boys," Annabeth interrupted, "I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now you need some rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/boys-annabeth-interrupted-i-m-sure-you-both-would-ve-been-wonderful/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I'v had a very long day trying to be friends with everyone I just need a rest from it!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivan/i-v-had-a-very-long-day-trying-to-be-friends-with-everyone-i-just/) [VIVAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivan/) > [“Mike…you awake?” “What is it with hospitals?” I asked with my eyes closed. “You keep giving me sedatives to help me sleep, tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-tufo/mike-you-awake-what-is-it-with-hospitals-i-asked-with-my-eyes-closed/) [Mark Tufo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-tufo/) > [“Jamie, you need to rest more," he said when Jamie”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-hart/jamie-you-need-to-rest-more-he-said-when-jamie/) Bess Hart > [“I don’t need to rest in this life. I can rest when I die. Then nobody’s going to bother me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-eldon/i-don-t-need-to-rest-in-this-life-i-can-rest-when-i-die-then-nobody-s/) [Kathy Eldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-eldon/) > [“Why won't they let me be? I just need to rest, that's all, to rest and sleep some, and maybe die a little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/why-won-t-they-let-me-be-i-just-need-to-rest-that-s-all-to-rest-and/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [the only thing you need to do for now is get some rest and take good care of yourself until you do know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-only-thing-you-need-to-do-for-now-is-get-some-rest-and-take-good/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [When you're tired, you say, 'Hey, I need to rest from tennis or something.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garbine-muguruza/when-you-re-tired-you-say-hey-i-need-to-rest-from-tennis-or-something/) [Garbine Muguruza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garbine-muguruza/) > [As soon as we become one with the ocean in the shape of God, there is no more rest for us, nor indeed do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/as-soon-as-we-become-one-with-the-ocean-in-the-shape-of-god-there-is/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I rest as long as I need to rest - I've had a whole life of learning to listen to my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaria-baldwin/i-rest-as-long-as-i-need-to-rest-i-ve-had-a-whole-life-of-learning-to/) [Hilaria Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaria-baldwin/) > [“Even monsters need to rest between monstrosities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rowe/even-monsters-need-to-rest-between-monstrosities/) Michael Rowe ## 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 Dinner quotes > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [My dinners have never interfered with my business. They have been my recreation. . . A public banquet, if eaten with thought and care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/my-dinners-have-never-interfered-with-my-business-they-have-been-my/) [Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [“We just went out for dinner. We didn't participate in a Roman orgy, I swear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-dahl/we-just-went-out-for-dinner-we-didn-t-participate-in-a-roman-orgy-i/) [Victoria Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-dahl/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain't over 'til you both get your cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/remember-sex-is-like-a-chinese-dinner-it-ain-t-over-til-you-both-get/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I'm not a person who would get up at 5 A.M. to write, but I could sacrifice my Friday night and just order in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/i-m-not-a-person-who-would-get-up-at-5-a-m-to-write-but-i-could/) [Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/) > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-like-to-be-bought-flowers-and-taken-out-for-dinner-i-like-a-man-to/) [Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/) > [Why should the Marquis de Cussy wage war on soup? I cannot understand a dinner without it. I hold soup to be the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoine-careme/why-should-the-marquis-de-cussy-wage-war-on-soup-i-cannot-understand/) [Marie-Antoine Careme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoine-careme/) > [Helvetica is the jeans, and Univers the dinner jacket. Helvetica is here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-frutiger/helvetica-is-the-jeans-and-univers-the-dinner-jacket-helvetica-is/) [Adrian Frutiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-frutiger/) [Browse all 2,901 Dinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the-dinners-you-give/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dinner" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the-dinners-you-give/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/henry-david-thoreau-20_dinner_you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the_2354138.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give.” — 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": "You need not rest your reputation...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the-dinners-you-give/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/you-need-not-rest-your-reputation-on-the-dinners-you-give/#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 } } ] } ```