It is so rare to meet with a man out-doors who cherishes a worthy thought in his mind, which is independent of the labor of his hands.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He notes the rarity of a person who values pure thought apart from manual work.
- In plain terms
- A thoughtful mind is rare among those focused on labor.
- What can you take from it?
- Cultivate independent thinking beyond work.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How often do you separate thought from work?
- Can labor inspire thought?
Another view
It may undervalue the dignity of manual labor.
More from Henry David Thoreau
What are the earth and all its interests beside the deep surmise which pierces and scatters them?
Permalink to quote #100 The eye may see for the hand, but not for the mind.
Permalink to quote #102 As if our birth had at first sundered things, and we had been thrust up through into nature like a wedge, and not till the wound heals and the scar disappears,…
Permalink to quote #99
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