I think his best quote is "Simplify, simplify, simplify." Even though Thoreau wrote that over 100 years ago, it's still so applicable today. If Thoreau was telling the people of his time to simplify their lives, can you imagine what he would think of our society today? We, as a society, have become so materialistic, needing, relying on, depending on things like cell phones, internet, iPods, cars, airplanes, ATMs, laptops, coffee shops, Super-Mega-Ultra Wal-Marts, and even things like refrigerators, stove, microwaves, electricity, indoor plumbing. Some of us would be fine without a cell phone, iPod, cable, video game system, but there are few among us who could go even close to as simple as Thoreau got. I have students who would rather I took away an arm or a hand than their cell phone. I wonder if Thoreau would marvel at our advances or be disgusted at how dependent we've become.
No comments:
Post a Comment