Be a Loser - The Philosophy of Henry David Thoreau

In a world of constant noise and influence, what does it mean to live intentionally? What does it mean to be successful? In this video, we explore the importance of simplicity and the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau in an attempt to answer these questions.

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[bageko]

The biggest thing that i hate about life is how competitive everyone is and is encouraged to be since birth. Everything revolves around standing out as an individual and developing talents that you can then sell in the "market place". What if you derive the most joy out of cooperating with people you enjoy being around, instead of wasting your entire life in a job that you hate? I don't really want success, i just want to be able to do whatever i want without worrying about money. The constant worry cripples me and makes it so i don't want to do anything when i do have free time. The world just seems like an utterly cold inhuman place. It wasn't made for a person like me, but for somebody else. Somebody i fundamentally can't relate to.

[Graybeard_]

At the age of 20 I moved to an eight foot trailer in the woods with no electricity or running water. Cellphones, computers and the internet did not yet exist. For two years I lived simply, washing in the creek and cooking my food over a fire. I read lots of books. I read Thoreau's Walden. To say I related and connected to Thoreau's words would be an understatement. His writing would shape who I would become. While living in that trailer, I decided to build a small cabin in the woods, and then I decided to go to college. My Early American literature professor asked me to teach the unit on Transcendentalism. I became an English teacher and then an administrator, and a county commissioner. Life became busy, and challenging, and rewarding. Now, 40 years from when I left the trailer in the woods, I'm back in the woods, living alone in a shop on the side of a mountain. My hair and beard now white. The stars and sky are my true ceiling. The trees my friends and neighbors. I am content in my life's journey, in all the things I acquired and lost along the way. Life can be amazing, if we let it be amazing.

[A_Sturm]

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

[wisdom_magnet]

"An exciting life is one where we're excited to be alive not one where we're frantically doing things." That hit me.

[twyyre]

"The only shame of being unsuccessful in life is being unsucessful in living how you want" Is a golden quote.

[MrEd]

my 40 yr old son is one of these amazing loners! he's never wanted a family, just wanted a peaceful life of study and living in the country with us. he's an amazingly interesting and helpful person, I've never met anyone with such deep thoughts and wisdom. I feel super grateful to have been his mom. he has awakened my mind in beautiful ways and we are so close. he's a real joy and I know I don't have to worry about him, he takes care of me in my old age!

[yungus]

"A successful life is simply a conscious one" this might be a short answer to all those feelings deep in my heart, that I'm missing something or that I don't feel fulfilled. Consciousness is the key to happiness.

[jkwalzo]

I quit my high paying, high stress job yesterday. I needed this today. Thank you.

[orangejuice]

You know you're ready to be yourself when you accept being a loser in the eyes of someone else.

[ELTarTree]

For years I listened to very well known podcasters who inspired me to make more of myself. Discipline, self awareness, be awake, energized and alert, let not opportunity pass you by.
I ended up exhausted.
I now realise these podcasters are workaholics who never stop, constantly pushing their boundaries.
That might work for them, for me I am happiest and at peace doing nothing of any significance.

[tritonmole]

Im 31, im not married, i dont have a girlfriend, no social life, i only have a steady job that i enjoy and some extra money for treating myself. Sometimes i get depressed realizing that i am lonely. But the funny part is that i often catch myself feeling most at peace when im sipping a good liquer or beer alone in the forest while looking into a campfire watching my dinner cook. It would be nice to have it all, but having no worries and just being alone at peace is also nice. Appretiate what you have dudes.

[matcharamen]

This made me shed tears. It's like talking to a friend and finding comfort that he understands what you are feeling.

[snow]

I realised this when I was in College. Incredibly competitive person. It's only being number one or nothing at all. Would blame myself in every mistake and things that didn't go as planned.
Decided from walked one time to see the area around my uni. Unexpectedly watched the trees and sunbeam, realised I've been in this uni in three years now and feels like this is the first time I see them. Decided to slowed in life. Found the beauty in it. Best decision I've done.

[beautifulvillian]

I failed. I failed all my life. Broken family, toxic relationship, being bullied, study and work failed, and broke. I was upset and asked God that why me? I've done my best, but failed, why?. So I built a strong ego to protect myself. Later, I found that it made me failed and became more suffering.

2 months ago, I decided to be a real loser. I surrendered everything and said "Ok. If it meant to happen, let's God manage it. I'll rest." I was depressed and cried every night. I couldn't sleep.

But last week, I started getting used to it. I found that I feel better to be a loser. Because I didn't fight for anything and put myself in a toxic situation. I listen and allow anyone to teach me anything. I'm polite and helpful to those who are banned by toxic people. Being this weak sets me free from anger and expectation. I listen more with my heart. That brought me the new good friends. So, being a loser is the gold ring to me.

[maillardsbearcat]

"How often do we consider, not how it would look from the outside, but how it would feel from the inside, the only place it is actually experienced?" That hit hard

[nathanfarrugiavella]

“The only shame of being unsuccessful in life is being unsuccessful in living how you want to the best you can” - This hits deep

[educationalporpoises]

When things get rough I often remind myself that just the fact that I can smell an orange is an incredible thing that makes life all the more worth living.

[lakewalker]

Such peace can be found by the light of a fire. Silent. The crackle and pop eroding away stress and worry. It's amazing how complicated we've made our lives.

[imsleepy]

Today's society believes individuals who sacrifice everything, their time, energy, money, relationships, into material and economic success should be looked highly upon, and that everyone should strive to be like them. Consequently, most people find it easy to center their lives around these ideals, as moving with the trends of society is much easier than living as oneself.

It is because of this that I've realized just how incredibly courageous and wise it is to detach from these artificial desires and become what you want to be and to live for oneself. It's so fundamentally opposed to the current trajectory of social existence, yet it most wholly embodies what it should mean to be human.

I strive to become like this in my life. For me, a successful life is one where I can break out of the illusions society has locked me into.

[jpminor]

I enjoy wild camping. I love the simplicity and being with the elements. However all my friends talk about me doing it like I’m a freak. “You just go in the woods on your own? That’s weird mate” they all need £25k cars to impress people on Instagram but I just want to sit by a little fire that I’ve made myself. I hate how this modern world has brainwashed 99% of people. As humans, We’ve lost our way :(