I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.