Henry David Thoreau, (1817-1862) American author, poet, philosopher, polymath, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and transcendentalist Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page Henry David Thoreau Quote “The universe seems bankrupt as soon as we begin to discuss the characters of individuals.”Henry David Thoreau ~ Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American author, poet, philosopher, polymath, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and transcendentalist Character , Integrity Ratings and Comments Reply Mike, Norwalk 1/19/15 Too accurate, too often. 1 Reply E Archer, NYC 1/20/15 Since no one is perfect, in a republican government, powers are distributed so that the impact of errors is reduced. That is why the basis of republican government is personal responsibility -- none are wise enough to command the rest. So we keep a live and let live approach to life. We don't need government to provide anything to us -- we only need government to administrate, not dictate. The 'laws' are for the government to obey, not to dictate to the populace. In a sense, we are ALL a bit bankrupt in our characters -- another reason to live and let live. Self-righteousness is far more hurtful and abusive towards others. Reply Felipe, São Paulo 2/16/20 Please, more Thoreau daily quotes! SaveOk2 SaveOk2 View CommentsClick to view or comment. Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print This Henry David Thoreau quote is found in these categories: Character quotes Integrity quotes About Henry David Thoreau Bio of Henry David Thoreau Quotations by Henry David Thoreau Books by/about Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau videos Henry David Thoreau on Wikipedia Astrological chart for Henry David Thoreau