None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Nature is slow, but sure; she works no faster than need be; she is the tortoise that wins the race by her perseverance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nature operates at its own pace, emphasizing patience and perseverance as key to success.
Henry David Thoreau's quote highlights the importance of patience and steady effort in achieving success. By comparing nature to the tortoise in Aesop's fable, Thoreau illustrates that slow and deliberate progress often leads to victory over faster, less consistent approaches.
Themes
NaturePerseverancePatienceSuccessSlowSteady
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about achieving long-term goals.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes βThrough 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.
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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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