APAD: Marching to a different drummer

Meaning: To follow your own path and to live/behave in an individualistic way.

 

Background:

 

This expression traces to a passage in Henry David Thoreau's 1854 work, Walden:

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears

a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured

or far away."

 

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I heard about Thoreau but haven't read Walden.

I really should and wonder if it's still modern.

His mom did his laundry, some once claimed to see,

And the guy was not the stoic he was made out to be.

Maybe I'd be better off studying Cook, Langdon.

所有跟帖： 

• 我行我素 -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 10:30:00

• Not recommended in collective, hierarchical societies. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 11:56:52

• 走自己的路，让別人去说吧！ -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 11:23:29

• Who gave that advice? Some famous poet, right? -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 11:57:55

• 据说是但丁。但有人考证说有异议！ -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 12:43:31

• I thought it was a Chinese poet, in exile. Not sure. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 12:54:04

• 绝对不是中文诗。我看到的争议说但丁的原话并不是这样的。 -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 15:50:01

• I can believe you. Just read sth about Dante recently. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 16:27:57

• 想起来了：走自己的路，让别人无路可走 :-))) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 21:13:36

• 这肯定是中国诗人说的！ -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 21:17:00

• 这是中国人编的，但不是中国诗人写的。 -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/09/2023 postreply 07:59:58

• 比但丁编的好！ -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/09/2023 postreply 10:20:25

• 占位点赞，晚上来看。：） -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 12:50:04

• Henry David Thoreau's 1854 work, Walden！！！ -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 19:27:20

• 暑假去了梭罗的瓦尔登湖。还是挺有感触的。 -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 19:28:17

• 在线阅读版本。这是中文的，英文的也有在线 -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (205 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 19:30:38

• 具体点。什么感触？这样儿的还敢处？ -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 20:12:07

• 还是中庸一下 As a compromise, -卫宁- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 21:01:41

• sometimes follow others, sometimes follow yourself :)) -卫宁- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 21:02:20

• No problem. 想干嘛干嘛，爱咋地咋地 :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 21:09:59

• Great poem at the end! I googled Cook and then remember -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 23:20:20

• Mushrooms grown at Seattle that you once mentioned:)） -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/08/2023 postreply 23:21:40

• Thanks. I learned 'nurse log' from Langdon Cook :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/09/2023 postreply 09:48:19

• and his name came up in that little limerick. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/09/2023 postreply 09:49:00

• being able to afford that is very lucky :--)) -Oona- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/09/2023 postreply 06:44:56

• Yes and it's often more than luck :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/09/2023 postreply 09:49:42