Thoreau is a philosopher that is remembered for his thoughts on non-conformity. His thoughts have been interpreted differently to bring either out its positive implications or out negative implications. In all these, his teachings have been found to be relevant especially when it comes to various situations where a person has to make a choice. According to Thoreau, true happiness comes from listening to your inner convictions rather than external voices. The basic reason behind this is that the chances of satisfying oneself are higher when you listen to your inner voice compared to the lean chances of satisfying others and even self by listening to the external voice. His article on civil disobedience best explains this theory where one must not always conform to the laws of the land and more especially when they do not bring them satisfaction (Emerson, 53). Nonconformity implies that a person lives freely by doing what they please without necessarily having to consider how the external environment will be affected. As long as such an action will cause them satisfaction and joy, then they should not withhold themselves.
Thoreau thoughts are not just based on theoretical reasoning or mere philosophy but based on his experience. Before he wrote the article on civil disobedience, he practically went through life and recognized the beauty that lied in doing what pleased an individual. He choose to live a simple life that was contrary to expectations of the society. His career revolved around writing literature, which was something he delighted in. during the civil war, when everyone else was busy worrying about the war and how it is likely to affect them, Thoreau decided to find a hideout that was composed of cool and natural landscapes. This is where he spend most of his time simply reflecting on life and concentrating on his writing. He chose not to conform to the laws that governed the land but instead listened to his inner convictions. Even though this thoughts were considered meaningless at the time, they are currently considered to be the best and ones that sets an individual free. This is reflected on the American society where people choose to live as they please rather than as the law requires them to.
The current American society is composed of people who are liberalized in their thinking and even going a head to demand the law to conform to conform to their wishes rather than follow the law just as it was designed. This is the reason why the constitution has to go through various amendments just to accommodate different views of people. New bills and policies are also being passed by the government on a regular basis just as need arises. It should be noted that what is being advocated for and especially by interest groups is not new. The only difference is just that people have discovered that they do not have to live in bondage when they have a right to live their lives as they please (Thoreau, 64). The essence of pushing the government to recognize such desires as law is mainly to minimize on stigma and even discrimination that the society may subject them. What was previously considered abnormal and unlawful such as gay marriages is finding its place in the government as various states solemnize same sake marriages.
Non-conformity does not just about civil disobedience but the liberating the mind in consideration of self-interests. In a world where people have different views and interests, it may be quite to please everyone. There high chances that a person will not please everyone no matter how much they conform to pressure. This is mainly because what will please a particular individual will definitely displease the other. It can hence be frustrating to an individual who decided to conform to pressure to please other people only to be encountered with a negative response. It will however be fulfilling at least to oneself after realizing that no matter how much people may have been displeased with your action, at least you found some fulfillment and satisfaction. This does not however imply that people engage in actions without giving it a second thought simply because they want to. There is an aspect of doing something that will cause you permanent satisfaction rather than which may make you regret after sometime.
When talking about inner satisfaction and happiness, Thoreau implied an eternal satisfaction. The issue with the America society is the fact that most people adopt lifestyles that only cause them temporal satisfaction and bring them regrets in the future. They act according to the situation of the moment forgetting the fact that they have a future, which they will require to face. One perfect example is binge eating and the craze about junk foods. Binge eating is one of the decisions that people make to satisfy their immediate needs ignoring its future implications. The problem with adopting such a lifestyle is its addictive nature that makes a person to divert their attention from what is good and healthy for them (Channing, 39). Even though such people made the decisions out of free will and what was thought to satisfy them, they have to face the consequences of ill health where by they are forced to change their lifestyles for the better. It is therefore necessary for a person not just to follow his or her inner desires without considering how that will affect their future life.
Thoreau’s thought s are good and valid only if they are followed and adopted with a sober mind. The fact that many people advocate for this kind of thought, it has not hindered the law from functioning. The thought is will never be used in a court of law to defend an individual who will probably engage in crime simply because they thought that is what will satisfy them. Despite his advocacy for civil disobedience, Thoreau cannot be held responsible for any actions that are done with reference to his thoughts. All he encouraged people is to follow their inner convictions and not conform to external pressure (Thoreau, 72). It is rather obvious that for one to happy and satisfied with their lifestyle, they will not be engaged in actions that will annoy their neighbors. This is simply because, when a neighbor feels hurt with your actions, they might take actions against you and hence causing dissatisfaction all together. This therefore implies that a person will be happier when people around them find no fault in their actions. In pursuit for happiness and satisfaction, it is vital for the environment to be considered. This may not be necessarily through conforming to their pressures but engaging noble actions that satisfy the individual.
Works cited
Channing, William. Thoreau: The Poet-Naturalist. New York: BiblioBazaar, 2010.
Emerson, Ralph. Thoreau. California: The Minerva Group, Inc., 2004.
Thoreau, Henry . Civil Disobedience. London: Forgotten Books, 1942.
