"But men labor under mistake. The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost. By a seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed, as it says in an old book, laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal. It is a fool's life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before."
It's from Walden, which I just began reading. It stood out to me, because I want to disagree with it a little... but in the end I think he's right.
What do you think?
2007-12-19 08:35:15 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Physical reality is dependent upon a observer that has a consciousness as all that you think of as real is nothing more than a probable state until you observe it, but this goes deeper still, for as all of matter and energy is the result of quantum state collapse at moment observation the very world you live in is nothing but a cloud of possibilities and those possible states have no history in time as it exists within the physical sense of the word therefor it becomes clear that consciousness is the only factor which cannot be accounted for and should be considered important in this respect. It would by absurd for one to conclude that they are the only consciousness that exists if we are to believe anything that has been determined by science, but rather that we are all one and the same, drops in the sea of the universal consciousness.
Thus the validity of such statements can be shown to those that are familiar with quantum physics.
Look up the things I mention in the sources I have provided and perhaps you may see the profound wisdom of the words scribed in your question and yes I must certainly agree with them.
Oh and do have a lovely day, = ]
2007-12-19 09:53:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, very true. the workplace is full of strife, competition, and ego's. All this friction takes away the essence of who we really are deep down inside. It eats at our conscience. It is necessary, but at what cost? the phrase questions how and why we get caught up in this madness. That's why Thoreau shunned society, gossip, employment. He took care of himself on his own terms.
The old book refers to the Bible( Matthew 6:19) It refers to death and leaving everything behind that you have worked so hard to achieve. Yes, it can appear cynical, but the author wants you to examine why you strive so hard to get things that eventually own you. Somewhere in that area of the book it states how many people, actually don't own thier house, but the house owns them. Now look at all the people today working their butts off to avoid foreclosure. Did Thoreau know something back in the mid-1800's that many people don't ever bother to think about today. You decide.
2007-12-19 18:17:40 · answer #2 · answered by cap3382 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He didn't go deep enough. All lives are fool's lives and have no real purpose or meaning. So it really doesn't matter whether we prepare for the future or collect junk our whole lives. In the end we are all dead. So do what u feel.
2007-12-19 16:49:32 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, all you really own are your memories, but
you can collect much better memories if you've
gathered a little material wealth along the way.
2007-12-19 18:35:49 · answer #4 · answered by Irv S 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with him. Our lives are so work-oriented that we don't even take the time to really enjoy the time we have on earth.
2007-12-19 17:58:27 · answer #5 · answered by illustrator 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My instinct tells me that this is all a vast and inconsequential dream reality for which my best efforts are warranted and rewarded.
2007-12-19 17:04:05 · answer #6 · answered by ptery 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋