Walden - Chapter 18: Conclusion

Walden - Chapter 18: Conclusion

1. Avoid conformity

   • Walden reveals he has left the woods he has lived in for the past two years by writing, "it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one. It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves."
     • When Walden realized that he was beginning to continue the very habits he had aimed to escape from in the first place, he knows he must resist conformity as much as he can.
   • He encourages people to avoid conformity by rejecting materialistic desires, and even suggesting that the reader sell their clothes and to not burden themselves with obtaining anything new, even friends.
     • Conformity ultimately restricts one's inner thoughts, as it influences a person to change to what they should be, rather than what they already are.

2. Don't restrict yourself and your life

   • Walden criticizes those who say that people during his time were not as intelligent as their ancestors. He counters this by saying that we should not restrict our capabilities simply because we do not measure up to a standard.
     • He continues by stating that people should not be so rushed to become successful in order to keep pace with their peers, instead going at a rate that they find comfortable.
       • This is a message that is very applicable to today's society. For many people exists a strict timeline that shows when a person should go to school, when they should get a job, when they should get married, etc. that the majority seems to follow with little compliant. However, restricting people to follow a certain formula will result in people miserable and discontent with the lives they have lived.
         • Walden's message stands as a beacon for those people, showing that they can choose not to follow the path curated for them and still live a life that is meaningful.
   • Walden writes, "Love your life, poor as it is."
     • In this passage, he tells the reader not to confine themselves to the conditions they are affected by.
       • This mentality mostly applies to money, or a lack thereof.
         • Walden's anti-materialistic attitude shows a sense of relatability to the audience, who may not have money to travel to places like the woods he describes. It sends the message that poverty does not limit one's ability for self-discovery.
       • He references a story of a king who had terrible manners, and a man who lived in a tree who had wonderful hospitality.
         • The purpose of these stories was to show that status and money does not determine one's worth. Just because a man is more poor than you, does not make him a worse person.

3. The importance of self-reflection

   • The entire purpose for Walden shutting himself off from civilization was for him to have time to reflect on himself and his life as he has lived it.
     • His experiences serve as inspiration for the reader, guiding them through how to examine their inner selves.
   • Instead of literal travel, Walden encourages readers to look within one's self and discover their inner truth.
     • "Nay, be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought."
       • Walden's writing clearly displays the Transcendentalist ideal of self-reflection.