Our life is frittered away by detail.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
Our life is frittered away by detail.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
What it means
Small tasks, small worries and small purchases eat whole lives. Thoreau says an honest man barely needs more than his ten fingers to count his affairs. Cut the clutter.
The source
"Our life is frittered away by detail." Henry David Thoreau said it in Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For. Written in English: Walden, 1854.
"Our life is frittered away by detail."Original English (Walden, 1854), Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For. 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 "Our life is frittered away by detail." mean?
- Small tasks, small worries and small purchases eat whole lives. Thoreau says an honest man barely needs more than his ten fingers to count his affairs. Cut the clutter.
- Who said "Our life is frittered away by detail."?
- Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Source: Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.
- What is the original wording?
- Our life is frittered away by detail (Original English (Walden, 1854)). Written in English: Walden, 1854.
- Is "Our life is frittered away by detail." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"Our life is frittered away by detail." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For, trans. Original English (Walden, 1854)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail
Filed under Quotes about calm.
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More from Henry David Thoreau
- Simplify, simplify.Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
- I went to the woods to live deliberately.Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
- Step to the music you hear, however far away.Walden (1854), Conclusion
- Advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.Walden (1854), Conclusion
- You are rich in what you can afford to let alone.Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
- The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it.Walden (1854), Economy