Quote by Henry David Thoreau

We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the Old World some weeks nearer to the New; but perchance the first news that will leak through into the broad, flapping American ear will be that the Princess Adelaide has the whooping cough.

We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the Old

Summary

This quote satirically highlights the tendency of humans to prioritize trivial, inconsequential information over more crucial matters. It suggests that despite our enthusiasm to bridge continents through technology, the transmission of gossip and unimportant news might be the first result. By emphasizing the news of a princess having a trivial illness like the whooping cough, the quote implies that we often ignore significant global issues in favor of trivial distractions. It serves as a critique of society's skewed priorities and our inclination towards sensationalism.

Topics

Media

By Henry David Thoreau

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

Mental pleasure are never cloy; unlike those of the body, th

Mental pleasure are never cloy; unlike those of the body, they are increased by repetition, approved by reflection, and strengthened by enjoyment.

Nathaniel Cotton

Repetition

Justice is a concept. Muscle is the reality.

Justice is a concept. Muscle is the reality.

Linda Blandford

Justice

Standing armies can never consist of resolute robust men; th

Standing armies can never consist of resolute robust men; they may be well-disciplined machines, but they will seldom contain men under the influence of strong passions, or with very vigorous faculties.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Military

The art of being a slave is to rule one's master.

The art of being a slave is to rule one's master.

Slavery

No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The

No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.

William Hazlitt

History

What a poor appearance the tales of poets make when stripped

What a poor appearance the tales of poets make when stripped of the colors which music puts upon them, and recited in simple prose

Appearance

As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation

As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep and never to refrain when awake.

Mark Twain, 70th birthday speech

Habits

I've made movies that we're very successful that we're a com

I've made movies that we're very successful that we're a complete surprise, and I've made movies that I thought we're going to be very successful that, you know.

Christopher Walken

Movies

I came all this way for a reason. Today is the day of salvat

I came all this way for a reason. Today is the day of salvation. Trust Jesus to save you. Then be sincere as God knows a pretender.

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to thi

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think -- rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.

Thought

What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain m

What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions.

Character Action Virtues

Once you become successful, people know where you live, the

Once you become successful, people know where you live, the type of house you live in, the kind of car you drive, the clothes you wear, and so it would be patronising to go and talk like a welder. Welding's a mystery to me now. You can't go back, your life changes every day.

Car