None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
How few things can a man measure with the tape of his understanding ; How many greater things might he be seeing in the meanwhile.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the limitations of human understanding and the vastness of what remains unseen or uncomprehended.
Henry David Thoreau's quote reflects on the narrow scope of human understanding, suggesting that while we may be able to quantify and measure certain things, there are many greater realities that exist beyond our comprehension. It invites us to recognize the limitations of our perception and encourages an openness to the unknown, urging us to look beyond what is measurable and to appreciate the broader aspects of existence that we might overlook.
Themes
UnderstandingLimitationsPerceptionKnowledgeWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the pursuit of knowledge, one might say, 'As Thoreau noted, how few things can a man measure with the tape of his understanding.'
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.
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
Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.
Ambrose BierceRead
Those who know don't tell and those who tell don't know.
Michael LewisRead
You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
Mark TwainRead
When I tried this morning, after an hour or so of unhappy thinking, to dip back into my meditation, I took a new idea with me: compassion. I asked my heart if it could please infuse my soul with a more generous perspective on my mind's workings. Instead of thinking that I was a failure, could I perhaps accept that I am only a human being--and a normal one, at that?
Elizabeth GilbertRead
Understand that a problem is only a problem if you choose to view it as a problem (vs. an opportunity).
Robin SharmaRead
Intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn.
Daniel KeyesRead