Quote by Henry David Thoreau
?'If a man walk in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer; but if he spends his whole day as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making earth bald before her time, he is esteemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. As if a town had no interest in its forests but to cut them down!
Summary
This quote, attributed to Henry David Thoreau, sharply criticizes society's skewed understanding of productivity and the exploitation of natural resources. Thoreau suggests that if someone spends a significant amount of time in nature out of pure admiration, they might be deemed lazy. However, someone who relentlessly exploits and depletes those natural resources for profit is hailed as hardworking and enterprising. Thoreau condemns the shortsighted view that solely values industrial progress and economic gain, questioning the lack of interest and appreciation for the integral role of nature in a community's well-being.
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