Quote by Henry David Thoreau
While there are manners and compliments we do not meet, we do not teach one another the lessons of honesty and sincerity that the brutes do, or of steadiness and solidity that the rocks do. The fault is commonly mutual, however; for we do not habitually demand any more of each other.
Summary
This quote suggests that in human interactions, there is often a lack of teaching and learning important virtues such as honesty, sincerity, steadiness, and solidity. Unlike brutes (animals) that instinctively display certain traits, and rocks that embody stability, humans fail to consistently demand these qualities from one another. The author implies that if humans expected and prioritized these virtues in their interactions, they could cultivate a more honest, sincere, and steadfast society.
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