Henry David Thoreau's Beliefs

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In modern society, a person is basicly forced to conform to standards placed by stereotypes. Namely, the ideal that having a the goal of labor, no matter the occupation, is to climb to the highest tier and obtain the most income possible, regardless of passion or interest. That ideal has become major flaw in the functionality of people claiming to live a successful and fulfilled life. Based on the philosophies and writings of Henry David Thoreau, this essay connects Thoreau’s teachings with society by exposing how working joylessly only for the sake of gaining wealth is not a true way of experiencing a fulfilling life. The point Thoreau is attempting to convey to is the fact that life is what a person makes it out to be for themselves. Good …show more content…
When it comes to labor, his beliefs still stands strong. Thoreau was fixated on his conviction that people should spend their lives tending to their individual passions because “the aim of the laborer should be, not to get his living, to get ‘a good job’ but to perform well a certain work” (Thoreau 77). To Thoreau, striving to gain massive amounts of wealth had little to no influence on him. Throughout civilized time, having wealth meant that a person had reached the pinnacle of the metaphorical societal food chain. It is believed that a person who is wealthy is happy and has achieved a fulfilling life; however, that is not entirely the truth according to modern studies. Research shows that “[t]here is little to no evidence to show that money [truly] motivates [people], and a great deal of evidence to suggest that it actually demotivates [people] … once basic needs are covered the physiological benefits of money are questionable”(Chamorro-Premuzic). Money, while necessary to function properly in today’s world, should not dictate how a person choses to work and spend their lives because that choice belongs to the individual and that is the point Thoreau is attempting to make. People should strive to
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