There being much more ice and snow within the swamp, the vapor is condensed and is blown northwards over the railroad.
—Journal, 12 March 1859There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of nature and has his sense still.
—WaldenThere has been no man of pure Genius; as there has been none wholly destitute of Genius.
—A Week on the Concord and Merrimack RiversThere is a certain class of unbelievers who sometimes ask me such questions as, if I think that I can live on vegetable food alone; and to strike at the root of the matter at once,— for the root is faith,—I am accustomed to answer such, that I can live on board nails.
—WaldenThere is a certain glory attends on water by night. By it the heavens are related to the earth—Undistinguishable from a sky beneath you.
—Journal, 13 June 1851There is a coarse and boisterous money-making fellow in the outskirts of our town who is going to build a blank-wall under the hill along the edge of his meadow. The powers have put this into his head to keep him out of mischief, and he wishes me to spend three weeks digging there with him. The result will be that he will perhaps get some more money to hoard, and leave for his heirs to spend foolishly. If I do this, most will commend me as an industrious and hard-working man; but if I choose to devote myself to certain labors which yield more real profit, though but little money they may be inclined to look on me as an idler. Nevertheless, as I do not need the police of meaningless labor to regulate me, and do not see anything absolutely praiseworthy in this fellow’s undertaking any more than in many an enterprise of our own or foreign governments, however amusing it may be to him or them, I prefer to finish my education at a different school.
—"Life Without Principle"There is a reptile in the throat of the greedy man always thirsting and famishing. It is not his own natural hunger and thirst which he satisfies.
—Journal, 2 September 1851There is a sort of homely truth and naturalness in some books, which is very rare to find, and yet look quite cheap.
—Journal, 13 March 1841There is a stronger desire to be respectable to one’s neighbors than to one’s self.
—Journal, 1845-1846There is always room and occasion enough for a true book on any subject; as there is room for more light the brightest day and more rays will not interfere with the first.
—A Week on the Concord and Merrimack RiversThere is many a book which ripples on like a freshet, and flows as glibly as a mill-stream sucking under a causeway; and when their authors are in the full tide of their discourse, Pythagoras and Plato and Jamblichus halt beside them.
—A Week on the Concord and Merrimack RiversThere is more of God, and divine help, in my little finger, than in idle prayer and trust.
—Journal, 29 January 1841There is no infidelity so great as that which prays and keeps the Sabbath and founds churches.
—Journal, 1 January 1842There is no ill which may not be dissipated like the dark, if you let in stronger light upon it. Overcome evil with good.
—"The Service"There is no law so strong which a little gladness may not transgress. Pile up your books, the records of sadness, your saws and your laws. Nature is glad outside, and her merry worms within will ere long topple them down.
—Journal, 3 January 1853There is no such thing as sliding up hill. In morals the only sliders are back-sliders.
—Journal, 17 June 1854There is no such thing as pure objective observation. Your observation, to be interesting, i.e. to be significant, must be subjective.
—Journal, 6 May 1854