"And if the civilized man's pursuits are..." - Quote by Henry David Thoreau
And if the civilized man's pursuits are no worthier than the savage's, if he is employed the greater part of his life in obtaininggross necessaries and comforts merely, why should he have a better dwelling than the former?
More by Henry David Thoreau
“It is impossible to say all that we think, even to our truest Friend. We may bid him farewell forever sooner than complain, for our complaint is too well grounded to be uttered.”
“Men are born to succeed, not to fail.”
“We do not learn much from learned books, but from true, sincere, human books, from frank and honest biographies.”
More on Civilization
“We should lay aside every hindrance and endeavour by uniting the whole force and spirit of our people to raise again a great British nation standing up before all the world; for such a nation, rising in its ancient vigour, can even at this hour save civilization.”
“Peace is the virtue of civilization. War is its crime.”
“There may be an excess of cultivation as well as of anything else, until civilization becomes pathetic. A highly cultivated man,--all whose bones can be bent! whose heaven-born virtues are but good manners!”
More on Values
“I was trained from the beginning to work, to save, and to give.”
“We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.”
“In an ugly and unhappy world the richest man can purchase nothing but ugliness and unhappiness.”