“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”
―
―
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things..”
― Civil Disobedience and Other Essays
― Civil Disobedience and Other Essays
“I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.”
― On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
― On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
“How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book.”
― Walden or, Life in the Woods
― Walden or, Life in the Woods
William’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at William’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by William
Lists liked by William




