Wisdom, Walden, and Withdrawal
“...if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours,”( Thoreau 625). Henry David Thoreau shares his journey and experiences throughout Walden. Thoreau speaks greatly about the elements of self reliance and achieving goals. Several of Thoreau's lessons are still relevant in today's society, two of his fundamental ideas are that wisdom does not come from education and that loneliness is not the same thing as being alone.
Wisdom is not gained merely by time, but by meticulous studying and practice. Educators come in all forms, including books which teach us enduring lessons. Thoreau emphasizes that reading, “... requires a training such as the athletes underwent, the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object," ( Thoreau 214). Patience and time are required to obtain the most out of a book. Thoreau mentions that reading books must be done, “... as deliberately and reserved as they were written,” (Thoreau 214). The act of reading alone does not give us wisdom, it is how the information is understood and retained. Thoreau's ideals are still extremely prominent in today's society. Any book read must be analyzed to fully understand the material. Students and scholars everywhere
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Thoreau uses Walden to share his lessons and ideas which often oppose to the common cliches and concepts. Thoreau reiterates that “A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will,” (Thoreau 277). Being alone gives us the time to think and work. In today's society it is often overlooked to study and research while in absolute solitude. Students tend to text or listen to music while studying or learning which takes away from their experience. Taking time to ourselves leads to growth and change which strengthens our