What Henry David Thoreau Can Teach Us About Living Well

Note: This is a guest post from Jen Tota McGivney, author of Finding Your Walden.

“In these unprecedented times…” It’s become a cliché, but is it true? Are we alone in history?

We aren’t. As proof, meet Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau lived during an era like ours: of fast innovations, political division, economic uncertainty, out-of-control consumerism, and even a pandemic. He wrote his masterpiece, Walden, as he pondered big questions: How can I create a values-based life in a profit-based society? Do I really need all this stuff? How does one live well in a time that changes so quickly?

It’s the ideal time to revisit some of Thoreau’s teachings. While the world reminds us of our potential as consumers and workers, he reminds us of our potential as humans.

I recently wrote a book (Finding Your Walden) that applies his messages to modern life, and my research with doctors, psychologists, and career coaches supports Thoreau’s timeless message: The best way to live well is to live simply.

Here are five lessons from Henry David Thoreau that can help us simplify our lives today:

1. Know the true cost of a thing.

The cost of an item is the amount of life we trade for it.

We don’t just spend our money; we spend our life. While the world tells us the price of things, it’s up to us to remember their cost. A car (or house or sofa) costs more than its price tag, but also the energy we trade to earn those dollars. Similarly, hours spent scrolling on a phone may not cost money, but it costs valuable time and attention.

2. Create a little space between you and the world.

When we’re constantly connected, we absorb the values of the culture around us—a culture that doesn’t always have our best interests at heart.

By creating space between us and the world, we can regain our interiority and remember what matters most to us. Even a meditation practice or a daily walk can create just enough space.

3. Embrace your inner misfit.

The ability to live a life that is uniquely your own is a superpower.

It may look a little different from the people around you, perhaps in how you dress, where you live, or what you do. Being a bit of a misfit, however, gives you the ultimate freedom: to create an intentional life that prioritizes living well above fitting in.

4. Know what you work for.

Even Thoreau needed a steady job to pay the bills. He knew, however, that a job is what he did, not who he was.

In our hustle culture, so many of us confuse our title with our identity. Thoreau’s work—whether as a writer or handyman or teacher—was in service to the life he wanted to live. A job gave him the resources to live his life; it did not become his life.

5. Spend life lavishly.

The point of simplifying isn’t to have and to do less; it’s to have and to do more of what matters.

The more we minimize the activities and purchases that don’t serve us, the more resources we can invest in a values-centered life. For Thoreau, this meant spending time with his family and community, working with the Underground Railroad, and enjoying time in nature. Connection, purpose, and enjoyment: It’s a trifecta worth simplifying for.

To say that we live in unprecedented times is to needlessly create feelings of anxiety and isolation. But to reach across time to connect with someone who has gone through something similar—to read a classic book and to recognize ourselves in it—is to find the company we need to move forward, to live the best lives we can in the moment we’re in.

Right now, Thoreau is wonderful company to keep.

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Jen Tota McGivney is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina who has written for numerous magazines. Her book, Finding Your Walden: How to Strive Less, SimplifyMore, & Embrace What Matters Most, was released earlier this week on May 5, 2025.