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Thoreau Simplicity
Henry David Thoreau was a prophet who understood that the materialism of the modern world would lead to a society that was impersonal and damaging to the world around it. He came to understand that the burgeoning materialism and consumerism of the 19th century would, in time, ultimately lead to a world that was plagued by possessions and damaging to the environment. As the world enters the 21st century, and people are consumed by their consumer products and the environment seems to be changing for the worse, Thoreau's predictions seem to be coming true. It is time that society as a whole begins to understand what Thoreau recognized more than a century ago, simplicity is a necessity.
If Henry David Thoreau thought that the 19th century was filled with the "clutter" that invaded a person's life and overwhelmed them with nonsense, he would be astonished to see how much "clutter" plagues the 21st century. Thoreau was a person who shunned the modern 19th century life of newspapers, industry, politics, economics, and other sources of distraction in order to...
In his writings, Thoreau stressed the importance of simplicity and the need to rid oneself of the "clutter" of the modern world. All of the things that Thoreau avoided, he claimed were destructive to the human spirit and the environment in general. He feared the world would transform into an impersonal, distracted, uncaring and disposable society that was too wrapped up in their "clutter" to see the destruction being wreaked upon the whole.
And like a prophet, Thoreau's predictions seem to have come true. The modern world is one where people are more connected than ever before, machines make life easier, and transportation is more efficient. But what is the cost of this progress? People are connected to others who are thousands of miles away while ignoring those standing next to them. Dozens of individuals may be in a group waiting for a bus, but none are interacting with each other; they are all consumed by their smart-phones and internet connected pads. Their ears are blocked from each other by earphones playing music or communicating with…
Works Cited
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. London: Bibliolis Books. 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.
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