October 27Be Good for Something
Pursue, keep up with, circle round and round your life, as a dog does his master's chaise. Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still. Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
Henry David Thoreau—Familiar Letters (1894)
In society, morality is often defined as a set of standards that should be universal. Of course, Thoreau and most of the authors represented in this book believed that universal standards were little more than a tool to oppress self-reliance.
Thoreau removes to some extent the shades of gray by suggesting a more universal standard: be good for something.
Today, lift someone up.
Challenge Question
- How have you been helped by someone in your past? Send them a note.
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