Friday, July 10, 2009

[gzeznaoc] Lives of quiet desperation

Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

Is it true? Is it a bad thing?

If it is true, why? Is it a result of the result of "the system", like Malthus hypothesized?

What causes which men or women to become or not become part of that "mass"? Is it a result of your controllable decisions? Is it luck, or fixed circumstances beyond your control? Is it predictable for a given person? If so, by what age is your fate set?

These questions might be able to be investigated empirically.

If you have to plead "The Yuppie Nuremberg Defense", you are leading a life of quiet desperation.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

If one believes in fate, then one might think our fates were sealed before we were even concieved!

While Thoreau used 'desperation' as the qualifing diagnosis, many terms might have fit there and have been equally as relevant in the meaning of his musings.

Ben said...

Haha the yuppie nuremburg defense. I don't know what factors lead to living a life of quiet desperation. All I know is that the older I get, the harder it is not to fall into such a state.