Journal Entry #3

Saturday, Feb 21, 2026

A reflection on the “Economy” passage. To be honest, I had to work to comprehend what Thoreau was trying to say, and even then, I don’t think I fully understand. I believe part of it is how differently the same English language is spoken nowadays, and another part is that he is talking in sort of metaphors that I do not understand. Additionally, his way of writing is quite interesting. He writes in these short little spurts, not full paragraphs. It made it difficult to follow because his ideas are not concrete sentences and the words he used are no longer used today.

One quote that I did cause me to pause and think was “what a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate”. I agree with Thoreau on this. If you think you are unworthy or unable of accomplishing something, you will never try and therefore never get it. However, if you believe that you will be successful, your mind thinks about it more, makes different plans to help you achieve success, and you will work towards being successful. This is why the concept of “manifesting” can work. Because you are thinking about what you desire more. All in all, Thoreau makes a great point that what you believe about yourself is highly important. 

Lastly, one part that I thoroughly disagree with Thoreau on is his opinion that we have absolutely nothing to learn from the old. He says that their lives are failures, and while I believe that no one’s life is a failure ever, they would still have something to teach you if it was. We can learn from others mistakes, and the elderly are often quite wise in the concept of relationships and friendships because they have simply experienced more of them. I believe that we much to learn from those who came before us. From both their triumphs and their failures, it never hurts to listen.


Comments

  1. williams.dan76February 24, 2026 at 10:59 AM

    Thanks fort giving Thoreau a read. His prose is sometimes dense to readers. But I am glad you grappled with the passages.

    ReplyDelete

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