"If a man does not keep pace..." - Quote by Henry David Thoreau
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
More by Henry David Thoreau
“Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towardsrecognizing and organizing the rights of man?”
“I say, break the law.”
“To the man who cherishes a secret in his breast, there is a still greater secret unexplored. Our most indifferent acts may be a matter for secrecy, but whatever we do with the utmost truthfulness and integrity, by virtue of its pureness, must be transparent as light.”
More on Individuality
“You're not like the others. I've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon.”
“A Wasn’t just isn't. He just isn't present. But you… You ARE YOU! And, now isn't that pleasant!”
“Your children are not your children, they come through you, but they are life itself, wanting to express itself.”
More on Nonconformity
“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.”
“Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore it if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.”
“You pay a certain penalty for going your own way. A lot of people think you're nuts, and you're not as popular with girls as you should be.”