The rush to California, for instance, and the attitude, not…

The rush to California, for instance, and the attitude, not merely of merchants, but of philosophers and prophets, so called, in relation to it, reflect the greatest disgrace on mankind. That so many are ready to live by luck, and so get the means of commanding the labor of others less lucky, without contributing any value to society!

Sourced, Life Without Principle
(1863)

Other Henry David Thoreau Quotes

He would have left a Greek accent slanting the wrong way, and righted up a falling man. - View Quote Details on He would have left a Greek accent slanting the wrong…
Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. - View Quote Details on Success usually comes to those who are too busy to…
Truth, Goodness, Beauty — those celestial thrins,
Continually are born; e’en now the Universe,
With thousand throats, and eke with greener smiles,
Its joy confesses at their recent birth. - View Quote Details on Truth, Goodness, Beauty — those celestial thrins,
Continually are born; e’en…
Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism may comparatively be popular with God himself. - View Quote Details on Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism…
Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star. - View Quote Details on Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There…
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan- like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.” - View Quote Details on I went to the woods because I wished to live…
My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it. - View Quote Details on My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But…
The vessel, though her masts be firm,
Beneath her copper bears a worm. - View Quote Details on The vessel, though her masts be firm,
Beneath her copper bears…
Men rush to California and Australia as if the true gold were to be found in that direction; but that is to go to the very opposite extreme to where it lies. They go prospecting farther and farther away from the true lead, and are most unfortunate when they think themselves most successful. - View Quote Details on Men rush to California and Australia as if the true…
I saw that the State was half-witted, that it was timid as a lone woman with her silver spoons, and that it did not know its friends from its foes, and I lost all my remaining respect for it, and pitied it. - View Quote Details on I saw that the State was half-witted, that it was…