Henry David Thoreau

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Maintain local identity

  Brand

  Avoid the urge to constantly look toward major hubs or competitors for validation. A business gains strength by leaning on its own unique position and 'everlasting hills.'

  Supporting quotes

  • “The gross products of the plains and valleys are for such as dwell therein; but it seemed to us that the juices of this berry had relation to the thin air of the mountain-tops.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Prioritize Distribution Mechanisms

  Strategy

  Success depends as much on the means of reaching new ground as it does on the quality of the product itself. Nature ensures seeds have wings or transport agents to expand their range.

  Supporting quotes

  • “In winter we lead a more inward life. Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts, whose windows and doors are half concealed, but from whose chimneys the smoke cheerfully ascends.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Seek the Late Bloomers

  Strategy

  Value often appears when others have already quit or closed their doors for the season. Success requires the alertness to spot opportunities that others assume are finished.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Excursions, and Poems: The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, Volume 05 (of 20)  (opens in a new tab)

• Value Beyond the Transaction

  Brand

  The true essence and highest value of a product often evaporate when it is treated merely as a commodity for transport and sale.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Excursions, and Poems: The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, Volume 05 (of 20)  (opens in a new tab)

• Value Long-Term Perspective

  Learning

  True understanding of a situation often requires the passage of time and the endurance of hardship.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Excursions, and Poems: The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, Volume 05 (of 20)  (opens in a new tab)