Henry David Thoreau is a famous transcendentalist and had the below to say about people working their day jobs.
“Look at the teamster on the highway, wending to market by day or night; does any divinity stir within him? His highest duty to fodder and water his horses! What is his destiny to him compares with the shipping interests? Does not he drive for squire Make-a-stir? How godlike, how immortal, is he? See how he cowers and sneaks, how vaguely all the day he fears, not being immortal nor divine, but the slave and prisoner of his own opinion of himself, a fame won by his own deeds. Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate. Self-emancipation even in the West Indian provinces of the fancy and imagination, – what Wilberforce is there to bring that about? think, also, of the ladies of the land weaving toilet cushions against the last day, not to betray too green an interest in their fates! As if you could kill time without injuring eternity. The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”
Henry David Thoreau
How to Apply the Transcendentalist Passage
I do think it is a little much of the famous transcendentalist to bash normal people this much. We all have to do things we don’t want to do and have to make a living. However, there is wisdom in his writing.
How I interpret what Thoreau is saying is that most people live lives where they are not happy with and do not say anything about it because, unfortunately, it is the accepted norm. Countless people go to work every day and when asked how they are doing, they sarcastically respond, “living the dream”, or some other indication that they would rather be somewhere else. That is okay every once in a while. We all have those truly rough days. However, if that is our baseline for normal days, that is the sign of quiet desperation.
How Thoreau came to Walden and his reflection was he worked six weeks, used that money to build his cabin and get supplies, and then spent two years out at Walden’s pond contemplating, surviving on his own, and writing.
Transcendentalists Today
I know most of us cannot escape into the wilderness like this for months at a time, but we can take the grains of truth for this extreme example and build a little bit of joy each day. Transcendentalism philosophical thought holds the core belief that there is inherent goodness in people and nature. Transcendentalist thought also revolves around how institutions have corrupted the purity of the individual and that people are at their best when they are self-reliant and independent.
The school of thought from the 1830s is a little out of date with how to interconnect we all are in the 21st century. However, there are some practices we could use more in our day to day life. Taking the tenants out of transcendentalist thinking, below are some tips on overcoming this “quiet desperation” thinking pattern that I think Thoreau himself would endorse.
How to Apply Transcendentalist to the 21st Century
Find a job you Enjoy
The first step would be to work a job you enjoy because we spend the majority of our time working. From this description, the ladies weaving toilet cushions probably do not enjoy their careers. It is a short-term necessity to meet the bills, but that doesn’t mean with some planning, a better career pivot can happen. Take some time and reflect on what careers you think you’d like to do, research them, and go try to pivot if you are not already there. It will be hard, but it will lead to a more fulfilling life.
Build-in time each day for a little nature. Transcendentalist holds that there is goodness in nature. Also, science has proven that being in nature helps boost the immune system and boosts mood. Take a walk in a park, enjoy the little animals that run around you in day to day life, and if none of this is possible, meditate to nature sounds like running water or birds chirping. Build-in ten minutes of connecting with nature each day to disconnect and relax.
Build up your Self-Reliance muscle.
Thoreau built his cabin to exemplify this tenant. Instead of ordering out, make a meal. Instead of hiring a task rabbit to build the Ikea furniture, try building it yourself. Not only will this save money, but it also provides learning opportunities along the way to build new skills. Possibly even a new passion for cooking or woodworking.
Be more Optimistic
Since Transcendentalist hold that people are inherently good, they are pretty optimistic. Channel that. Instead of asking yourself, “what if this goes wrong?” ask yourself, “what if this goes right?”. Start to focus more on the positive and build in plans to minimize risk, instead of just focusing on the risk without seeing the benefits decisions could make for you!
See this guide to help you become more optimistic!
Main Take-Aways
- I hope you Thoreau(ily) enjoyed this post
- Do not live a life of accepted “quiet desperation”. Work on finding a job that brings you as much sitting in a cabin and writing brought to Thoreau
- We can all build in more a little more nature into our day to day lives
- Build tat Ikea furniture on your own to build up that self-reliant muscle
Action item
What can you do this week to be more Transcendental in your day-to-day life?
