Thoreau on Simplicity

The importance of simplicity is one of Henry David Thoreau's main recurrent themes in Walden. He claims that the needs and wants of an individual should be few, and encourages stripping away the luxuries and comforts of life down to the bare essentials. To Thoreau, simplicity allows one to live life to fullest. His ideas in the 19^th century can relate to the 21st century because in today’s society, people focus more on materialistic items in life which prevents people from really appreciating it.

Thoreau expresses that many of the materialistic items we find “important” only act as obstacles that don’t allow mankind to reach their highest potential. By “simplifying” our possessions and living off the four most essential items as he claims are, “Food, shelter, clothing, and fuel,” illustrates Thoreau’s ideas of living life to the bare minimum and allows an individual to appreciate life without commodities which aren’t really needs but wants. There are people in today’s society that have more than they need and only care about what they wish to have without acknowledging all that they do posses.

Many people disagree with his idea of living simply because they work hard for what they earn and should be able to do what they please with it. Given that fact, yes it is true that people work hard for what they have, but they don’t need to spend their money on unnecessary items just to flaunt to others. This is why there is always constant competition to see who is better than whom and people just end up hurting each other just to prove who is the best with their materialistic items.

If we lived simply as Thoreau suggest, it would eliminate the competition of materialistic items and allow people to appreciate life for what it is.