Go where we will on the surface of things, men have been there before us.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- We follow paths already walked on the surface of things.
- In plain terms
- We tread familiar ground.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize when you’re repeating others’ steps.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When have you knowingly chosen a well‑trodden route?
Another view
Sometimes following past paths is necessary for safety.
More from Henry David Thoreau
Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.
Permalink to quote #91 The frontiers are not east or west, north or south, but wherever a man fronts a fact, though that fact be his neighbor, there is an unsettled wilderness betwee…
Permalink to quote #93 This world is but canvas to our imaginations.
Permalink to quote #90
Related quotes
I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has go…
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus quote #2 History is more or less bunk. It's tradition. We don't want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the…
Henry FordHenry Ford quote #1 If Paulus's army had capitulated before the end, the Russians would have had the advantage of withdrawing forces against Paulus and against the southern front,…
Erich von MansteinErich von Manstein quote #1