Did Henry David Thoreau say “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”?
SAPIR 861 · QUOTE CHECK
Did Henry David Thoreau say “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”?
Found word for word. Yes. The text appears in works attributed to Henry David Thoreau. Source and location below.
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Henry David Thoreau, ¶41 · Public domain (US), Project Gutenberg #205 · source
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (WLC), CC BY 4.0