Though the complexity of both language and thought in Walden makes for a rather slow and, I must admit, frustrating read at times, there are many quotes and pieces of wisdom in the book which had me questioning the way I live my life almost in its entirety – you know the book is good when it had me, a materialistic guy who loves his shoes, wanting to run away into the woods and live off of the land.

All jokes aside, a line that to me stood out was Thoreau’s statement that “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”. There are multiple ways in which this can be interpreted but, given its mention in the ‘economy’ chapter of the book, I took it to be referencing the average person, who lives pay-check to pay-check to make ends meet

Daily Star, https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/pot-noodle-fans-furiously-debate-22174594 <29/04/24>

My response would be that many live this way in pursuit of better. An aspiring journalist might begin writing for a local paper, eating pot noodles every night, with the hope that one day they will be presenting for the BBC, and all of the struggles will be a distant memory. In large, it is true that the majority of people live desperate, because most don’t find financial comfort until near retirement. What would you rather, though – your landlord at your door, or a bear outside your shack?