"It is a thorough process, this war..." - Quote by Henry David Thoreau
It is a thorough process, this war with the wilderness - breaking nature, taming the soil. feeding it on oats. The civilized man regards the pine tree as his enemy. He will fell it and let in the light, grub it up and raise wheat or rye there. It is no better than a fungus to him.
More by Henry David Thoreau
More on Nature
“When the moon shines very brilliantly, a solitude and stillness seem to proceed from her that influence even crowded places full of life.”
“When you are in accord with nature, nature will yield its bounty. This is something that is coming up in our own consciousness now...recognizi ng that by violating the environment in which we are living, we are really cutting off the energy and source of our own living. And it’s this sense of accord, so that living properly in relation to what has to be done in this world one fosters the vitality of the environment.”
“What is common to many is least taken care of, for all men have greater regard for what is their own than what they possess in common with others.”
More on Humanity
“If men were to be destroyed and the books they have written were to be transmitted to a new race of creatures, in a new world, what kind of record would be found in them of so remarkable a phenomenon as the rainbow?”
“Innovation is a good thing. The human condition - put aside bioterrorism and a few footnotes - is improving because of innovation.”
“If we continue to think and live as if we belong only to different cultures and different religions, with separate missions and goals, we will always be in self-defeating competition with each other. Once we realize we are all members of humanity, we will want to compete in the spirit of love.”