Who said “If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of…”?

Verified

Henry David Thoreau. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceWalden (1854)

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Walden (1854).

APA

Thoreau, H. D. (n.d.). If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/13119-if-i-knew-for-a-certainty-that-a/

MLA

Thoreau, Henry David. “If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/13119-if-i-knew-for-a-certainty-that-a/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thoreau, Henry David. “If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/13119-if-i-knew-for-a-certainty-that-a/.

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VerifiedQuote in a letter to Theo, from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, 9 or 10 February 1890 (1890), published in The Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, Vol. 3 (1958) New York Graphic Society, p. 256; see original letter · evidenceDetails & citeDeeds and Good Deeds

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