Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau, (1817-1862) American author, poet, philosopher, polymath, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and transcendentalist

Henry David Thoreau Quote

“I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a good place to live in, but to live in it, be it good or bad. ”

Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau
~ Henry David Thoreau

Civil Disobedience (1849)

Ratings and Comments


Mike, Norwalk

We make of life what we will.

J Carlton, Calgary

I'm going to guess that Thoreau did not believe in "social engineering". Good on him!

jim k, Austin,Tx

Well said J and Mike.

E Archer, NYC

This probably makes the do-gooders scratch their heads. Aren't we supposed to be 'saving the world'? “ 'Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails.' And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. What? Are these f@cking people kidding me? Save the planet, we don’t even know how to take care of ourselves yet. We haven’t learned how to care for one another, we’re gonna save the f@cking planet?" -- George Carlin

J Carlton, Calgary

Archer...thank you for that. Carlin is one of my all time favorites.

GunnyCee, Durham

What's even funnier are those who want to save the climate! WTF? The arrogance of these people is mind-blowing. They actually think that man has destroyed the climate and they are bound and determined to right that wrong. Talk about tilting at windmills. As for Henry David; he was not a realist, but an idealist. He was a square peg then, and he'd be one today. Of course, if we were all square pegs, then I suppose the world would have to adapt.

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