Henry David Thoreau's View On Contemporary Life
This passage, written by Henry David Thoreau, resonates with me personally, as it remarks that humans are often too focused on the events around them that they end up ignoring their individual nature. Within the passage, Thoreau asserts, “After a night’s sleep the news is as indispensable as the breakfast. ‘Pray tell me anything that has happened to a man anywhere on this globe’” (Thoreau 10). As humans beings, we crave to know what is happening to others of our nature. However, because of this, we often ignore our own identity. For instance, I feel as if I am focused on my phone more than I should be. I find myself indulging in stories coming from around the world, whether they be affecting me or not. Because of this, I find myself to be ignorant
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This notion is illustrated when Thoreau notes, “‘Pray tell me anything new that has happened to a man anywhere on this glove’ -- and he reads it over his coffee and rolls, that a man has had his eyes gouged out this morning on the Wachito River” (Thoreau 10). Humans are inclined to look around for news regarding other humans, and because of this focus and this care, we are a more connected as a society. In my own view, I agree with this notion. By focusing and looking for stories around the world, I am able to move into this transcendent reality. I forge a connection with those who are affected, despite not having ever knowing of them. When something monumental occurs to another human, it is our own nature to care for them or respond to them. By doing so, we compose a stronger sense of co-humanity. Moreover, Thoreau discusses that one who reads the news is “never dreaming the while that he lives in the dark unfathomed mammoth cave of this world, and has but the rudiment of an eye himself” (Thoreau 10). When we read and discuss the events occurring across the world, we feel a deeper sense of what it means to be human; we do not feel as if we are of a separate nature. Instead, we feel a connection, which in turn, leads to a more valid, contemporary
This notion is illustrated when Thoreau notes, “‘Pray tell me anything new that has happened to a man anywhere on this glove’ -- and he reads it over his coffee and rolls, that a man has had his eyes gouged out this morning on the Wachito River” (Thoreau 10). Humans are inclined to look around for news regarding other humans, and because of this focus and this care, we are a more connected as a society. In my own view, I agree with this notion. By focusing and looking for stories around the world, I am able to move into this transcendent reality. I forge a connection with those who are affected, despite not having ever knowing of them. When something monumental occurs to another human, it is our own nature to care for them or respond to them. By doing so, we compose a stronger sense of co-humanity. Moreover, Thoreau discusses that one who reads the news is “never dreaming the while that he lives in the dark unfathomed mammoth cave of this world, and has but the rudiment of an eye himself” (Thoreau 10). When we read and discuss the events occurring across the world, we feel a deeper sense of what it means to be human; we do not feel as if we are of a separate nature. Instead, we feel a connection, which in turn, leads to a more valid, contemporary