None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Thoreau critiques the nature of news, suggesting it is trivial compared to philosophical thought.
In this quote, Thoreau expresses his disdain for conventional news, equating it to gossip rather than significant information. He implies that those who consume and disseminate news are merely engaging in trivial chatter, similar to old women gossiping over tea, rather than participating in meaningful discussions about life and ideas. This reflects his belief in the deeper value of philosophical inquiry over superficial conversations.
Themes
NewsGossipPhilosophyTrivialityThought
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about the impact of social media, one might quote Thoreau to highlight the trivial nature of online news.
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.
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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.
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That grand old poem called Winter
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