Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them. Their fingers, from excessive toil, are too clumsy and tremble too much for that. Actually, the laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day; he cannot afford to sustain the manliest relations to men; his honor would be depreciated in the market. He has no time to be anything but a machine. . Henry David Thoreau
About This Quote

Most men are, by nature, unable to pursue the finer things in life. Many are too easily distracted by trivial matters in life. They are preoccupied with details. If they do manage to get around to the finer things, they are too clumsy to do so effectively.

They have to work with their hands in order to have time for other pursuits. The laborer is not in a position to maintain the manliest relations with men, because he is not in a position of strength or power.

Source: Walden

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