None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Even the facts of science may dust the mind by their dryness, unless they are ... rendered fertile by the dews of fresh and living truth. Knowledge does not come to us by details, but in flashes of light from heaven.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientific facts alone can be dry and uninspiring unless enlivened by deeper truths; understanding comes in moments of insight.
In this quote, Thoreau emphasizes the importance of integrating fresh and vibrant truths into scientific knowledge to make it engaging and meaningful. He suggests that mere details of science can be tedious, and real knowledge often arrives in sudden, enlightening moments that illuminate our understanding.
Themes
ScienceTruthKnowledgeInsightThought
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a science class to illustrate the importance of deeper understanding in learning.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes →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.
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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
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