Thoreau, Henry David -- Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)

Dave — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 22:37:18 +0000

The man who goes alone can start to-day; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off.

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) American philosopher and writer
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)
(Source)

See also the Anglo-American proverb (in Kipling's wording) "He travels the fastest who travels alone" and the (possibly) African proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."

WIST Quotations

Thoreau, Henry David -- Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)