Slaved by Modern Inventions

Posted: September 9th, 2013

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Slaved by Modern Inventions

Thoreau’s principles were postulated by Henry David Thoreau, an American author whose work was an inspiration to many people throughout the years. He played a crucial role in the development of literature especially in America, and his work is still being used today in many learning institutions. In one of his principles, Thoreau stated “We do not ride the railroad; it rides upon us.” This simply implies that in today’s world people have become slaves to their own inventions. The world has become so dependent on inventions that they cannot do anything without them. Work that was previously termed as simple is now viewed as more complicated and intense because of the presence of inventions.

In the book “Walden”, Thoreau showed that one does not have to live in the urban world to survive. He set off to a secluded area where he cut himself of from the world and remained with necessities that were necessary for him to survive. The book was a form of personal independence from all things that make one a slave to the world. Through this social experiment, he was able to become self-reliant, and he showed the world that it is possible to be free. With the help of his family and friends, he was able to survive on four basic things – food, shelter, clothing and fuel. He employed the use of barter trade to gain the things that he needed, and he could not build on his own or get from his farm. He was able to survive and flourish in the wild by the end of his experiment. He found out by getting rid of the luxuries and living a simple life, one can still survive by employing other tactics of survival. As a means of entertainment, he spent much of his time reading and writing (Thoreau, 1990).

Inventions were made so that they can simplify life. Unfortunately, people have taken this to mean that they cannot do anything without their help. Many devices are now used to do away with the actual work. Innovations such as washing machines have made the house chores easy; computers have made the work of storing information easier and saved on space. All these inventions plus many more has made work easier and at the same time made people lazier. People have become so dependent on them that they would not know what to do if they lacked them. It has also made people lack innovation as they only depend on already existent things. In addition, people are also misusing these inventions. For instance, before the inventions of cars or before cars became more popular people could walk to places. Now that it has become easier to own a car people prefer to drive even to short distances instead of walking which is healthier for them.

Thus, inventions rule the way people live their lives. Since one has become so accustomed to taking the easier route, they cannot afford to go an extra mile. This has made them lazy and unhealthy. For instance, by taking a walk to the market one benefits in two ways. One, he or she exercises their bodies, and it cuts down on pollution on the environment. Since human beings are slaves to these inventions, they do at look at the benefits they would get by avoiding using them, but only think of the easier way out. Thoreau proved that it was possible to forego all these things and live a simple life by going to live in the forest. Modern society is a good thing, but if people are addicted to, the inventions it would make it hard for them to adapt incase a situation presents itself that forces them to live without all the fruits of a modern state. As much as comfort is essential, it is essential that people do not depend on it so much that they cannot survive without the comfort that the modern society provides.

It is therefore a clear that human beings should strive not to be dependent so much on inventions. It is just a recipe for disaster. This is because not all these things are necessary for one to thrive and survive in the world. In early days, people lived comfortable lives without such inventions and still managed to do everything necessary. By cutting back on the things that we deem important, we will be able to get in touch with our inner beings. Just as Thoreau did by depending on his books and writings, he was able to attain inner peace. He was not slaved by things like electricity to be entertained as people are. He depended on himself to get food from his farm and built every other thing that he deemed necessary. Therefore, people should look for ways in which they can break the bondages of inventions than depend on them fully.

Works Cited

Thoreau, Henry D. Walden: Or Life in the Woods. Raleigh, N.C: Alex Catalogue, 1990. Print.

Thoreau, Henry D, and Bradford Torrey. Journal of Henry D. Thoreau. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1949. Print.

Thoreau, Henry D. Life Without Principle. Raleigh, N.C: Alex Catalogue, 1990.