QuoteProject
It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
Henry David Thoreau
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Wisdom involves making thoughtful choices rather than acting out of desperation.

This quote by Henry David Thoreau emphasizes that true wisdom includes the restraint from hasty or desperate actions. It suggests that a wise person carefully considers their options rather than succumbing to panic or urgency, thus fostering better decision-making and outcomes.

Themes

WisdomDecisionsRestraintThoughtfulnessCharacteristic

In practice

Example use cases

During a tough business meeting, one could use this quote to remind everyone to remain calm and think wisely before making choices.

More from Henry David Thoreau

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
Henry David ThoreauRead
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
Henry David ThoreauRead
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
Henry David ThoreauRead
That grand old poem called Winter
Henry David ThoreauRead

Similar quotes

Imaginative, sanguine men will never recognize that in negotiations the most dangerous moment of all is when everything is moving according to their wishes.
Honore De BalzacRead
We live and learn, or, perhaps more importantly we learn and live.
Terry PratchettRead
Nothing in this world is to be feared... only understood.
Marie CurieRead
Your life, all of your life, is your path to awakening. By resisting or not dealing with its challenges, you stay asleep to Reality. Pay attention to what life is trying to reveal to you. Say yes to its fierce, ruthless, and loving grace.
AdyashantiRead
When you get to be my age, baby, you have to pay time more respect.
Ava GardnerRead
What was wonderful about childhood is that anything in it was a wonder. It was not merely a world full of miracles; it was a miraculous world.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.