I recently finished Walden, which is one of the most difficult books I read in my life. What inspired me to read Walden was after I read Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism as Henry David Thoreau is one of Newport's source of inspiration. In Digital Minimalism, Newport mentions some of Thoreau's ideas that are still relevant but often ignored in the 21st century such as the importance of solitude and nature. I thought his approach of connecting his ideas with 19th century ideas was pretty cool, so I wanted to read the book. As an aspiring minimalist, I couldn't neglect the great work of Thoreau. I learned so many things from this book that I previously never considered before. I think I shall read the book again because I read too fast this time. Even if I read it the second time, nevertheless I will learn something new from the book.
What struck me the most about this book was how beautiful Thoreau portrayed Walden pond. From the mesmerizing qualities of the pond to the animals that inhabited the forest, I seriously want to visit Walden pond someday. Although anyone in the 21st century can visit and perhaps live in a cabin like Thoreau, I don't think anyone can write as excellent as Thoreau about Walden Pond. The reason I say this is that with our digital devices and technology, we have a harder time focusing for many minutes on a single thing in our view. Because of our tendencies to snatch out our phone when we are bored, it is more difficult for us to embrace boredom for a long period of time. As a result, we aren't as mindful and fail to appreciate the present moment because our minds are cluttered with the urge to check notifications or the news. On the other hand, Thoreau could stare at the ice on the pond or observe animals for 30 minutes. I think his ability to focus and write very descriptive accounts of what he experiences is something that makes him like a demigod.
From the various encounters that I read about Thoreau in Walden, I feel kind of sad that I lost one of the most primitive qualities of being a human: interacting with nature. By not being immersed in nature, I am less observant of my surroundings and fail to appreciate the small things in life that make me happy. I can't really explain in words what makes Thoreau's life in the 1850s so hard to achieve in 2020. Is it the fact that people's lives during that time were a lot simpler and less industrialized, so it was easier to be in close contact with nature? I mean, I live right next to farms so I can't say that the reason behind this hollow feeling. What I can think of at the moment is that our current generation is deprived of solitude. Our lives are filled with the chatter of technology, media, and other people. How often do we take the time and simply do nothing but think and ponder?
What struck me the most about this book was how beautiful Thoreau portrayed Walden pond. From the mesmerizing qualities of the pond to the animals that inhabited the forest, I seriously want to visit Walden pond someday. Although anyone in the 21st century can visit and perhaps live in a cabin like Thoreau, I don't think anyone can write as excellent as Thoreau about Walden Pond. The reason I say this is that with our digital devices and technology, we have a harder time focusing for many minutes on a single thing in our view. Because of our tendencies to snatch out our phone when we are bored, it is more difficult for us to embrace boredom for a long period of time. As a result, we aren't as mindful and fail to appreciate the present moment because our minds are cluttered with the urge to check notifications or the news. On the other hand, Thoreau could stare at the ice on the pond or observe animals for 30 minutes. I think his ability to focus and write very descriptive accounts of what he experiences is something that makes him like a demigod.
From the various encounters that I read about Thoreau in Walden, I feel kind of sad that I lost one of the most primitive qualities of being a human: interacting with nature. By not being immersed in nature, I am less observant of my surroundings and fail to appreciate the small things in life that make me happy. I can't really explain in words what makes Thoreau's life in the 1850s so hard to achieve in 2020. Is it the fact that people's lives during that time were a lot simpler and less industrialized, so it was easier to be in close contact with nature? I mean, I live right next to farms so I can't say that the reason behind this hollow feeling. What I can think of at the moment is that our current generation is deprived of solitude. Our lives are filled with the chatter of technology, media, and other people. How often do we take the time and simply do nothing but think and ponder?
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