Henry Thoreau was a simple man who believed in simple living. Thoreau would probably turn circles in his grave if he was to realize how technical the world has become. Two reasons that made Thoreau particularly suspicious of technology were (1) that we have to spend time working to afford the technology, so why not be without technology and more free time, and (2) that technology distances us from nature and can affect our lives for the worse. Sure there is some sense in his beliefs, but technology does too much good to just completely abandon it. Many believe that our desire to live a lifestyle full of technology leaves a wave of materialism to sweep through our nation. Technology can represent true obstacles in life, but they bring more benefits than they do harm. Thoreau considered that the ownership of many material possessions was not a basic necessity of life. Of course, this is true, one cannot possibly need technology or material possessions to live, right? Think deeper into this issue, technology is not used solely for entertainment. What about medical respirators and heart-lung machines, these are all examples of technology, but can result in the difference between life and death. Perhaps, Thoreau thought this way because he did live in the nineteenth century. These great medical inventions had …show more content…
Perhaps, people should find common ground and use technology to the bare minimum or in life or death situations. Thoreau had some very important theories that people should study, and listen to. Thoreau has an interesting opposition when discussing technology, in that people should act in skepticism, for however genius the invention may seem, it will likely have a side-effect that could shape one into a person they would not like to be. The television, for example, at first seemed remarkable, but now consumes more of the human races time than any other