The world is not so much in need of new thoughts as that when thought grows old and worn with usage it should, like current coin, be called in, and, from the mint of genius, reissued fresh and new.
Interpretation
Creative ideas can become stale and need to be refreshed to remain valuable.
This quote suggests that society does not necessarily require entirely new ideas but rather a rejuvenation of existing thoughts that have become old and overused. Just as currency must be replaced to retain its worth, so too must our thoughts and perspectives be revitalized and reimagined to maintain their relevance and impact.
In practice
During a conference on creativity, this quote could be used to highlight the importance of revisiting and refreshing established ideas.
Looking forward into an empty year strikes one with a certain awe, because one finds therein no recognition. The years behind have a friendly aspect, and they are warmed by the fires we have kindled, and all their echoes are the echoes of our own voices.
My garden, with its silence and pulses of fragrance that come and go on the airy undulations, affects me like sweet music. Care stops at the gates, and gazes at me wistfully through the bars.
Fame is but an inscription on a grave, and glory the melancholy blazon on a coffin lid.
Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition.
Books are a finer world within the world. (1863)
A man does not plant a tree for himself; he plants it for posterity.
You should be convinced of the authenticity of what you have, but you must also be humble enough to say that we don't know everything. And since we don't know everything, we must accept that another person may believe something else.
He who is false to the present duty breaks a thread in the loom, and you will see the effect when the weaving of a life-time is unraveled.
If I'm an ass, I should say so. If I don't, somebody else will. If I say it first, that disarms them.
To be idle requires a strong sense of personal identity.
As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around.
Trust no future, however pleasant! Let the dead past bury its dead! Act -- act in the living Present! Heart within and God overhead.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.