Ever since reading his classic memoir, Walden, several years ago, I’ve been a proud fangirl of Henry David Thoreau.
In past posts, I’ve written about my love of minimalism and simplicity, and how I believe embracing a simpler life has been one of the big keys to my remaining Autoimmune Disease flare-free for over 12 years now. Much of my appreciation for Thoreau stems from the fact that he’s kind of the original minimalist, and though his written words are over 175 years old, a lot of what he has to say is mind-blowingly relevant and applicable today. Because of this fact, along with my belief that we all can truly benefit from learning more about his mindset, I want to introduce (or re-introduce) him to you today.
Thoreau was a leading Transcendentalist, which, if you remember your high school U.S. History, you’ll recall that Transcendentalism was a philosophical and social movement in mid-nineteenth century New England. Transcendentalists believed the most important truths in life “transcend” human reason. Their beliefs were highly counter-cultural and progressive for the time, valuing nature, individualism, self-reliance, equality, the idea of inherent goodness, and yes, simplicity.
HDT was also a writer, poet, philosopher, and if you ask me, a bit of a comedian. In addition to being an old-school minimalist, he has been called the father of both civil disobedience and environmentalism. Pretty cool guy, am I right?!
In Walden he shares about his experience of building a little cabin in the woods and purposefully living a fairly solitary life there with only the essentials, for a period of two years and two months. He contemplatively, and often allegorically writes about what he believes, what he is learning, and what he is reflecting on throughout his “tiny house living” experiment.
Walden is LOADED with incredible quotes, many of them being minimalism/simplicity related. A lot of his quotes have made me ponder, see some things in a new light, and/or nod my head in frustrated agreement. And I have definitely LOL'd at just how much a lot of what he has to say could be referring specifically to the modern, present-day society of 2023.
While I highly recommend you read Walden in its entirety, along with Henry’s other works, below are some of my favorite simplicity-related Walden quotes. Do any of these resonate with you, inspire you, or challenge you to consider them further?
“The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.”
“As long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes but little difference whether you are committed to the farm or the county jail.”
“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.”
“Our life is frittered away by detail…Simplify, simplify.”
“Let your capital be simplicity and contentment.”
“A [person] is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.”
“For my greatest skill has been to want but little.”
“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.”
“Most [people], even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.”
“I had three pieces of limestone on my desk, but I was terrified to find that they required to be dusted daily, when the furniture of my mind was all undusted still, and threw them out the window in disgust.”
Visiting Walden Pond was an item on my bucket list ever since reading Walden, and last summer (2022), I was fortunate to get to check that item off! My family went on a New England vacation, and in planning it, one of the must-see spots for me was of course Walden Pond and the site of Thoreau's cabin. It did NOT disappoint. Go ahead and call me a gigantic nerd, but the whole experience lived up to my very high expectations and was the highlight of the entire trip for me.
In walking through the secluded woods and standing on the shore of the tranquil (and surprisingly large) pond that day, both nature and the beyond, the things we cannot see with our eyes, all felt palpable. Being there provoked strong feelings of reverence and humbleness. I now can certainly see why such a place inspired an open-minded person like Thoreau so much.
Unhealthy, chronic stress has become an obvious byproduct of our chaotic, over-busy, over-commercialized modern lifestyles. Thankfully, there is a growing consensus that a simplified life is far more conducive to a healthier and more fulfilling life, and is indeed a much better path.
Perhaps it’s time for our society to revisit the minimalist philosophies of wise people like Thoreau. Perhaps it’s time for us to reevaluate the status quo, and to begin to live more counter-culturally. Perhaps it’s time for us to heed his call and, “Simplify…simplify.”
The spirit of Henry David Thoreau lives on in Walden Pond today, and through the philosophies he left us to keep reflecting on almost two centuries later.
For more of my thoughts on the healing power of minimalism and a simpler lifestyle, check out here, here, and here.
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