This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Are you lonely? How often do you spend time alone? Is that time enjoyable and valuable?
One of the reasons why Henry David Thoreau went to live in the woods was to be alone—but not to feel alone. Appreciating this distinction and following Thoreau’s example can help you find meaning in time spent alone.
Keep reading to learn how to enjoy solitude as Thoreau did at Walden Pond.
Thoreau’s Solitary Life at Walden Pond
Thoreau’s advice on how to enjoy solitude would probably start with a definition. He defined solitude as spending time by himself without feeling alone. It was one of Thoreau’s motivations for going to live in the woods at Walden Pond.
According to Thoreau, solitude enables us to find meaning and spiritual purpose. True solitude is also an antidote to a kind of loneliness that Thoreau contends is far too common in society. He argues that people feel more lonely when they spend too much time in society than when they spend time alone, deeply absorbed in their work, in the way that farmers or students become immersed in their tasks. That said, while Thoreau sought solitude, he also believed that he could reap the benefits of time spent alone without being a hermit.
How to Enjoy Solitude
In the same way that Thoreau made the choice to arrange his life so that he would experience solitude each day, you can also make the decision to spend more time—or more meaningful time—by yourself. But you don’t have to move to the woods to do it.
Spend time getting to know yourself. Thoreau contends that we have to understand ourselves before we can understand other people—and that spending time alone is a good way to find that self-knowledge. He explains that it’s never too late for us to take a critical look at what we believe. That way, we can see through illusions that might be commonly accepted in society but prevent us from seeing ourselves for what we really are.
Do the work that you’re meant to do. Thoreau describes solitude as something more than sitting alone in silent contemplation. Instead, solitude involves devoting yourself to the work that you find meaningful, rather than worrying about conforming to other people’s expectations. For example, Thoreau found satisfaction in cultivating his bean field as well as in spending time reading and writing. He chose forms of work that provided for his material and spiritual needs.
(Shortform note: If people often believe that Thoreau was a recluse, another common myth is that he scorned work. But, in Henry at Work, John Kaag and Jonathan van Belle explain that Thoreau took on extensive labor, thought deeply about the philosophy of work, and worked hard throughout his life. He believed in seeking out meaningful work—work that engages your full attention and agency—and advises finding work that you can take pride in. For instance, when he worked at his family’s pencil factory, he introduced improvements to many of the factory’s manufacturing methods. Historians say the Thoreau factory was the first in the US to produce pencils that equaled the quality of German Faber pencils, which set the standard at the time.)
Seek the truth. Thoreau also contends that it’s essential to know and accept the truth about who you are and what your circumstances are. That way, you can learn to appreciate life for what it is. He explains that spending time alone enables you to see beyond other people’s interpretations of reality and experience the world for yourself, as it really exists.
(Shortform note: Thoreau believed that solitary time spent walking in the woods and the fields enables you to access knowledge—about yourself and your world—that you wouldn’t otherwise learn. Henry David Thoreau biographer Laura Dassow Walls notes that paying attention to the world beyond yourself, as Thoreau advises, comes with risks. Seeing your world and your place in it requires confronting the reality that American social and political choices have shaped. Walls writes that our political economy is dependent on the destruction of the natural world, the extraction of fossil fuels, and the removal of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands—realities that come into view more clearly the more you pay attention.)
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Here's what you'll find in our full Walden summary:
- The philosophy behind Henry David Thoreau's classic novel
- How you can build a meaningful life by living in harmony with nature
- A look at how Thoreau spent his time at Walden Pond, outside the book
