--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that the mind can be…" description: "\"“I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things.”\" — Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg" --- # I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the… ![“I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things.” quote by Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg) > ““I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things.”” [Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trivial pursuits can permanently degrade the mind's capacity for depth. **In simple terms:** Focusing on trivialities harms mental depth. Key Takeaway Avoid trivial distractions to preserve mental clarity. Themes mindfulness focus philosophy Mood reflective calm Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - daily work - creative work - academic research - spiritual practice Key Concepts attention mental hygiene Questions to Reflect On - What habits keep your mind sharp? - How do you filter out trivial noise? A Different Perspective Balancing necessary routine tasks can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Trivial things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trivial-things/) [Triviality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triviality/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things, so that all our thoughts shall be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanently-profaned-by-the-habit-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“I hope the string and clapper arrangement he calls a mind has been permanently put out of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-dunnett/i-hope-the-string-and-clapper-arrangement-he-calls-a-mind-has-been/) [Dorothy Dunnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-dunnett/) > [Men think women should do trivial things on the margins. They think women should be merely a seasoning for a dish. I feel anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyesoon/men-think-women-should-do-trivial-things-on-the-margins-they-think/) [Kim Hyesoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyesoon/) > [If you want to become a man of letters and perhaps write some Histories one day, you must also lie and invent tales, otherwise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/if-you-want-to-become-a-man-of-letters-and-perhaps-write-some/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“Warriors of light always have a certain gleam in their eyes. They are of this world, they are part of the lives of others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/warriors-of-light-always-have-a-certain-gleam-in-their-eyes-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's more than one way to be a girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-faust/there-s-more-than-one-way-to-be-a-girl/) [Lauren Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-faust/) > [A noble person confers no such gift as his whole confidence: none so exalts the giver and the receiver; it produces the truest gratitude.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-noble-person-confers-no-such-gift-as-his-whole-confidence-none-so/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [But such a tiny and trivial thing as an umbrella can deprive you of the sight of such a stupendous fact as the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meher-baba/but-such-a-tiny-and-trivial-thing-as-an-umbrella-can-deprive-you-of/) [Meher Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meher-baba/) > [The Elephantine papyri - written as some of the books of the Bible are being written - is true social and legal documentation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-elephantine-papyri-written-as-some-of-the-books-of-the-bible-are/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [Do not become so absorbed with trivial things that you miss learning the doctrine and teachings of the Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/do-not-become-so-absorbed-with-trivial-things-that-you-miss-learning/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [She was very near hating him now; yet the sound of his voice, the way the light fell on his thin, dark hair, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/she-was-very-near-hating-him-now-yet-the-sound-of-his-voice-the-way/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“Mr. Severin smiled, tiny constellations of reflected chandelier lights glinting in his eyes. "Since I've told you about my tastes... what are yours?" Cassandra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/mr-severin-smiled-tiny-constellations-of-reflected-chandelier-lights/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“He watched it with that strange interest in trivial things that we try to develop when things of high import make us afriad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/he-watched-it-with-that-strange-interest-in-trivial-things-that-we/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Dorian Gray listened, open-eyed and wondering. The spray of lilac fell from his hand upon the gravel. A furry bee came and buzzed round…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/dorian-gray-listened-open-eyed-and-wondering-the-spray-of-lilac-fell/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that we don't build human settlements that will feed themselves, and fuel themselves, and catch their own water, when any human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/why-is-it-that-we-don-t-build-human-settlements-that-will-feed/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) ## More by Thoreau > [“I stand in awe of my body, this matter to which I am bound has become so strange to me. I fear not spirits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/i-stand-in-awe-of-my-body-this-matter-to-which-i-am-bound-has-become/) [Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) > [“In the last stage of civilization, Poetry, Religion, and Philosophy will be one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/in-the-last-stage-of-civilization-poetry-religion-and-philosophy-will/) [Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) > [“What I have observed of the pond is no less true in ethics. ... Such a rule ... draws lines through the length and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/what-i-have-observed-of-the-pond-is-no-less-true-in-ethics-such-a/) [Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) > [“Simplify, simplify. Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/simplify-simplify-instead-of-three-meals-a-day-if-it-be-necessary-eat/) [Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) > [“I am freighted with thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/i-am-freighted-with-thought/) [Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) [Explore all 6 Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/) ## More Habits quotes > [“Malchut is also the Alma D’Itgalya, “the Revealed World.” Here our latent potential is actualized through behavior and expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laibl-wolf/malchut-is-also-the-alma-d-itgalya-the-revealed-world-here-our-latent/) Laibl Wolf > [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/) [Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/) > [Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/winning-is-a-habit-unfortunately-so-is-losing/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [“the mind-numbing routine. It was the castration of thought,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/the-mind-numbing-routine-it-was-the-castration-of-thought/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When it comes to smarts, adolescents like Jesse have plenty. What they lack, however, are some of the brain-based skills that we all need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-guare/when-it-comes-to-smarts-adolescents-like-jesse-have-plenty-what-they/) [Richard Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-guare/) > [“I settled into a contented routine of working, spending my free time with Veronica and, back in my student room, wanking explosively to fantasies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-settled-into-a-contented-routine-of-working-spending-my-free-time/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're in a meeting and a man talks loudly over you, rather than copying that behaviour and normalising it, what you could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-foster/if-you-re-in-a-meeting-and-a-man-talks-loudly-over-you-rather-than/) [Dawn Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-foster/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) [Browse all 12,567 Habits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanently-profaned-by-the-habit-of-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Habits" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanently-profaned-by-the-habit-of-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/thoreau-58092_habits_i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanent_3045521.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I believe that the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things.” — 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": "Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I believe that the mind can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanently-profaned-by-the-habit-of-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thoreau/i-believe-that-the-mind-can-be-permanently-profaned-by-the-habit-of-2/#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 } } ] } ```