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Source identified
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

Henry David Thoreau

Source
Walden
Date
1854
Attribution
Source identified
Meaning

What does this quote mean?

Thoreau challenges ordinary routines by suggesting that outward normality can hide inward dissatisfaction.

Source context

Where does it come from?

Walden, “Economy”; Thoreau contrasts outwardly conventional lives with concealed dissatisfaction in his opening critique of ordinary economic arrangements.

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Attribution

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This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.

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