Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·188 of 348
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."
They never said that.
What people say
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."
What was actually said
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." Henry David Thoreau — Walden, "Economy" (1854)
Why it stuck
"Most men" and "the mass of men" carry different registers — one is statistical, one is classist. Thoreau chose the latter deliberately.
Pink Floyd's "Time" (1973) uses the line correctly. The misquote tends to appear in corporate-motivational posters.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.