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Henry David Thoreau1817–1862

The State never intentionally confronts a man’s sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength.

Henry David Thoreau on government

Civil Disobedience (1849)

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More from Henry David Thoreau

I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Walden (1854), p. 364In context
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To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts; but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates.
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We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.
Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations (1989), Author unknown; attributed to Henry David Thoreau, but not found in his works.
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More about government

The best government is that which governs least.
John L. O'Sullivan1813–1895Often credited to Thomas Paine
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
?UnattributedOften credited to Benjamin Franklin
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The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
?UnattributedOften credited to Winston Churchill
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