Comment on the following statement by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was an American Transcendentalist. By that, he basically lived alone in a house on a lake for a couple of years........
Here's the comment: "We make ourselves rich by making our wants few."
It seems that the more we have, the more we want. People have a hard time distinguishing "Wants" from "Needs". When our wants become needs....and we "have to have it"; wants become needs becomes greed. I suppose the Zen master would say, "If you want everything, have nothing."
ReplyDeleteI suppose you could find out all the things you don't need by looking at any Sunday paper ad in WalMart or Mennards.
ReplyDeleteI think this quote is saying we increase our self-worth by decreasing our material possessions. Those who obsess over material objects only focus on how they appear to others, not what truly makes them happy.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, this quote suggests we concentrate less on the significance of material objects and focus more on the importance of intangible ideals such as happiness, love, and freedom. In other words, a simple life is a complete one. I agree with this belief. We don't need big houses, fancy vehicles, or name brand clothes to make us rich people.
ReplyDelete(This is Rachel by the way... lol) This saying means we make ourselves rich with the emotions we gain by having human connections instead of money or material things. Our minds value other feelings such as happiness and joy different than what we may think makes us happy. To the mind, human connection is far greater than the pleasure we get when we buy a certain want. Material objects only last for so long and the proudness we feel when we finally obtain this want does not last as long as it if we made a difference in someone else's life. This emotions are what makes us rich instead of our wants which only last for a short while.
ReplyDeleteYou are all on the target of what Thoreau was trying to tell us in the above quote from Waldon. He may not have been overly into the "human connections" part as he valued truth in solitude - but he would take interaction over material wealth any day. However, I would generally go with Hemingway over Thoreau because in my opinion life, on most days, would be HARD without my boats! :)
ReplyDeleteWell I don't know how to not be Stevie (Crozier)...
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering if Thoreau was a wealthy guy. I understand he was smart and probably an innovative thinker and everything, but did he really have to work for a living? The way I understand it he just sat in that cabin and wrote and had people bring him pies when he was hungry, so I am curious about his credibility when talking about wants. If he was not rich though, then I guess he was just a Buddhist.
(This is Brandi by the way.)I think that it means exactly what it says. The less you want the less money you will spend on those wants and you will end up spending the money on what you need and saving the rest. This also works for morals, because the less you envy something the more you will have.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea behind this statement is contentment. The more I want, the less chance I have to successfully pursue any desire. The fewer goals or possessions I desire, the greater the likelihood I will achieve fulfillment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the principal elements of what others have said pertaining to eliminating material needs to achieve an overall happier state. The statement, however, seems to suggest ridding oneself of almost all wants. If one wants to be happy by making human connections or living a simple life, they still ultimately have wants. I would like to know if Thoreau would consider nonmaterialistic wants as limited enough to become "rich". I feel the statement is a bit vague considering the meaning of rich. Rich in wealth or rich in happiness? I guess this is for each individual to decide.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have to disagree with this quote because if we have very few wants, we have next to nothing. By having just what we need to get by does not make us rich by definition. But if this guy was happy in his cabin good for him. I would not like to live alone in a cabin for even a couple weeks.
ReplyDeleteI think this quote is trying to say that the fewer wants you have in life the less stressful and worrisome your life will be. If you don't have to worry about getting everything you want in life then your life will in turn be richer withe the simplicities of life and what it has to offer.
ReplyDeleteI felt the quote was saying, material things cannot buy happiness, friends, family, trust, and belief in yourself will make someone truely happy. Making them richer in life.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote is saying, if we make our wants few we will be able to achieve them easier than making many "wants" and never achieving them or ever getting around to them.
ReplyDeleteWhen people want nothing but material things, they realize they never have enough. They are never at peace with what they possess. When one has less wants, they are more at peace with the things they have, life, and themselves.
ReplyDeleteI believe that what the quote is saying is that if we have fewer wants we can focus more on the result we get from each want. Because when we have a lot of wants we tend to jump from one to another without ever really appreciating or enjoying the result we got from the ones we have achieved.
ReplyDeleteI think what the quote is trying to say is that the fewer wants we think we need, then the easier it is to achieve them. If people want unnecessary items for all the wrong reason,they simply won't be able to get them. The person has to want the items for themselves before the achieve process is available.
ReplyDeleteI feel the quote is saying that the common person doesn't know what the difference is between the things they want or enjoy and the everyday needs, and by making our wants fewer, we can make our lives better off.
ReplyDeleteI think this is slightly true, like if we only buy what we need then we will have more money and be rich. But what if rich is having friends and family that support you and have fun with them. Then do you need that much money?, not necessary, because they are happy and don't think they need any more doesn't that make them rich!
ReplyDeleteThe quote makes sense to me.... you cant get rich by spending every penny you make. You have to save and know the difference between want and need.
ReplyDeleteYou can't be greedy, you have to really think about what you "want" and what you "need". If you save up for the things you really want, you'll become richer as you save up. You have to put some things aside in life, think about whats best for you.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want anything, you have everything you want by having nothing. So you're rich because you have everything you want, which is nothing.. All these comments are making my brain hurt.. I decided to "dumb it down"
ReplyDeleteIf you make your wants very few then you dont buy what you want that is unneeded which will save you money. If you save enough money up you will eventually be very wealthy. You just have to know the difference between wants and needs. It basically is being smart with your money instead of wasting on unnecessary items.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want anything it takes away the point of riches. Yes you would be rich and not have any trouble with your needs but if you don't want anything what is the reason for riches. It would be like wearing a raincoat in the desert, worthless. It might be good for some to realize the difference between wants and needs but if you have no wants what is the drive to live.
ReplyDelete