By subscribing to Inspiring Quotes you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
A leading transcendentalist, early naturalist, and lifelong abolitionist, Henry David Thoreau started keeping a personal journal when he was 20 at the suggestion of another quintessentially American writer-philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Two years later, having made a habit of journaling, Thoreau jotted down this note. What inspired him to record the thought, we cannot know, but in retrospect the line might be read as a window into his life’s work. A core tenet of transcendentalism is a conviction in the inherent goodness of people and nature. Likewise, a central premise of civil disobedience in the interest of equal rights is that all people are created equal. Thoreau’s writing on the latter subject would go on to influence many other great thinker-activists working toward equality, from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr.
11 Fiery Quotes for the Year of the Dragon
Add a Dash of Laughter to Your Day With These Cooking Quotes
12 Brief Quotes From Notoriously Long Books
Reassuring Quotes To Beat the Winter Blues
13 Quotes To Help You Move On From Past Loves
13 Quotes To Challenge You To Rethink Your Preconceived Notions
24 Quotes About the Power of Sticking Together
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Truman Capote
Hilariously Relatable Quotes About Birthdays
11 Quotes From the Biggest Movies of 2023
Quotes for Anyone Who Isn't Where They Want To Be in Life