Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity!: Henry David Thoreau

           Thoreau seems thoroughly carefree and willing to let the world pass by, observing with interest but not with any true investment in it himself. Within the first few paragraphs, he says “[he] never got his fingers burned by actual possession.” To Thoreau, the worldly, materialistic ideals of ownership and property weigh us down and stop us from experiencing the world with true fervor. He argues that we should make ourselves new each day and be open to the effects of natural marvels. The idea that stuck with me the most throughout this piece was Thoreau’s assertion that “hardly a man takes a half hour’s nap after dinner, but when he wakes he holds up his head and asks, ‘What’s the news?’” as though he is greatly affected by the events that have ensued. Sometimes I feel this way about our society. Always someone is prying apart events that happen in people’s lives for the entertainment of other citizens.

            Although Thoreau has some valid assertions, I greatly prefer Emerson’s style and eloquence in his prose to Thoreau’s distracted thoughts. Emerson clearly argues his points and explains why he believes the way he does. Instead, Thoreau uses analogies that go on for paragraphs, slowly leading around to the same point he could have made in a few lines. I found Emerson much easier to follow even though his points tended to be longer in themselves. The lack of showy examples made the ideas easier to clarify and take a stand on.

            While Thoreau has legitimate concerns with mankind getting too caught up in the hustle and bustle, ready for gossip at every turn in the road, I think he goes too far with it, believing that it is ideal to hardly invest in anything at all and simply reside in nature with no real responsibilities upon your shoulders. It is not good to let society pass on without ever really knowing what has happened within it; everyone would simply repeat the mistakes that could have been easily avoided if they had read about it before hand. Not only is this a bit lazy, it’s completely unrealistic to just drop everything and live without reference to the rest of humanity. If I were to give up even one of my commitments during school, I would be judged for either taking on too much to begin with or chastised for not working harder to make it happen. Simplicity is a great thing, but to characterize all of your life into two or three categories as Thoreau suggests is nearly impossible and would cause my mind to explode with lack of organization! While Thoreau’s ideas may have been possible for him in the 1840’s, I can hardly imagine anyone fully capable of living by these standards today. However, maybe I am just too practical.