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.
12 Brief Quotes From Notoriously Long Books
15 Life-Changing Quotes From Marcus Aurelius’ ‘Meditations’
8 Quotes From the Trailblazing Women of the Civil Rights Movement
13 Hilariously Relatable Quotes From ‘Garfield’
16 Instantly Recognizable Song Lyrics
Create the Life You Desire With These 14 Transformative Quotes
Surprisingly Profound Quotes From the ‘Star Wars’ Universe
13 Quotes To Help You Move On From Past Loves
Hilariously Relatable Quotes About Birthdays
Quotes To Help You Mourn and Move Forward From a Relationship
Our Top 23 Quotes of 2023