"Who knows but if men constructed their dwellings with their own hands, and provided food for themselves and families simply and honestly enough, the poetic faculty would be universally developed, as birds universally sing when they are so engaged?" -pg 868
You know, Thoreau? I've had the same thought many a time. I believe it was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who once said, "Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean." And then I roll over in my ridiculously comfortable bed and I go to sleep. The statement is probably very close to the truth--if we were all honest and took care of ourselves, we would all be as one. If we were all perfect, life would be perfect. But this world wasn't made to be perfect.
"I am wont to think that men are not so much the keepers of herds as herds are the keepers of men, the former are so much the freer."
Our stuff owns us! It's so difficult to travel, to leave my cool stuff and my cool room behind so that I may travel lightly and freely. It's so sad! After reading this, I legitimately tried to get rid of some of my stuff. But... it's just all so cool! I have to work so hard to pay for my apartment and the gas for my car. Life is not so simple as it could be (if I was Thoreau back in the day). The bit of comfort that I take is that I like to arrange things artistically--my stuff, my outfits, my makeup--it's, ya know... a typical means of expression. The question is whether that's wrong.
I'm not sure yet. I think if my habits became habits for habits' sake rather then habits for a higher purpose (art), then that would be wrong. So now, everyday, I just need to remind myself of that day's purpose.
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