One person more right than the neighbors is already a majority of one.

Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1849)

What it means

Thoreau did not wait for the numbers to be on his side before doing right. Being right counts more than being many. Stand for it even if you stand alone.

The source

"One person more right than the neighbors is already a majority of one." Henry David Thoreau said it in Civil Disobedience (1849). Written in English: Resistance to Civil Government, 1849.

"any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority of one already."

Original English (Resistance to Civil Government, 1849), Civil Disobedience (1849). Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Lived two years in a cabin he built at Walden Pond and wrote Walden about it. His essay Civil Disobedience argued for refusing to cooperate with injustice.

Questions

What does "One person more right than the neighbors is already a majority of one." mean?: Thoreau did not wait for the numbers to be on his side before doing right. Being right counts more than being many. Stand for it even if you stand alone.
Who said "One person more right than the neighbors is already a majority of one."?: Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Source: Civil Disobedience (1849).
What is the original wording?: any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority of one already (Original English (Resistance to Civil Government, 1849)). Written in English: Resistance to Civil Government, 1849.
Is "One person more right than the neighbors is already a majority of one." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 6 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"One person more right than the neighbors is already a majority of one." (Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1849), trans. Original English (Resistance to Civil Government, 1849)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/one-person-more-right-than-the-neighbors-is