"Nothing is so much to be feared..." - Quote by Henry David Thoreau

“The next time the novelist rings the bell I will not stir though the meeting-house burn down.”

“If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am constantly doing by being what I am.”

“The mode of founding a college is, commonly, to get up a subscription of dollars and cents, and then, following blindly the principles of a division of labor to its extreme,--a principle which should never be followed but with circumspection,--to call in a contractor who makes this a subject of speculation,... and for these oversights successive generations have to pay.”

“There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid.”

“The shepherd will deny the diseased lamb in fear of the flock.”

“Even the greatest was once a beginner. Don't be afraid to take that first step.”

“If you would serve your brother it is fit for you to serve him, do not take back your words when you find that prudent people do not commend you. Be true to your own act, and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant and broken the monotony of a decorous age.”

“We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.”

“Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.”