Thoreau and Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau not only wrote Walden; he is also responsible for a small pamphlet titled Civil Disobedience, which recommends that - when a US president is taking a wrong turn - good citizens have a duty to protest.
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FURTHER READING
“In March 1845, the United States acquired a new president - James K. Polk - a forceful, aggressive political outsider intent on strengthening his country and asserting its pre-eminence in front of other world powers, especially Mexico and Great Britain. Within a year of his inauguration, he had declared full-scale war on Mexico because of squabbles over the Texan border, and was soon rattling his saber at Britain over the ownership of Oregon. To complete the picture, Polk was a vigorous defender of slavery, who dismissed the arguments of abolitionists as naive and sentimental...”
You can read more on this and other topics here: goo.gl/5Lnos4
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CREDITS
Produced in collaboration with:
Mike Booth
/ somegreybloke #TheSchoolOfLife

[@ilhamonytube]

I love Thoreau. His quote I remember most is, "It is better to have your head in the clouds and know where you are, than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them and think that you're in paradise."

[@TheLaural840]

._.

[@juanpablozamoramoncada9946]

Is that from Walden?

[@klosnj11]

My favorite is "there are a hundred people hacking at the branches of evil for every one hacking at the roots."

[@dheeraj4170]

Means to escape reality better than living in it or changing it ?

[@peterfowler9966]

Better to escape reality than consciously participate in a corrupt system to benefit ones self for the sake of others.?

[@jamesskinnercouk]

Thinking and questioning is always an act of disobedience.

[@edreyes894]

America wants obedient workers with no critical thinking skills and do not encourage questioning the existing narrative. No matter what evidence is provided to the contrary.

[@tonywalkerYougotswaw]

no its not stop using hyperbole.

[@TheLaural840]

@@Craig121000 muahaha... me every day, no i shallth not listen to u

[@bestgamewinnings4483]

in the sight of tyrant or tyrannical kinda people!

[@letmooooo]

no

[@PawanSharma-yr7dk]

I appreciate his writing one of his quote I love the most "Happiness is Like a Butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder…" (Henery David Thoreau)17-Apr-2014

[@kakunamatata7672]

He was "Thoreau"n in jail :) Okay I'll leave.

[@L30N4tER]

you tried

[@el_kks_4361]

You m8 a genius

[@arkonarcaxe1808]

give this man a cookie!

[@anonymouse7095]

Awesome

[@mogatdula]

HELL-larious!!

[@abhishekkumar3679]

I know what you did there.

[@brunof.m3170]

Hahahahaha

[@abhishekkumar3679]

L O did the right thing

[@actfree6897]

L O They're pointing out, I think, that standing up to Trump isn't wrong nor unpatriotic.

[@abhishekkumar3679]

L O It was a very clever criticism of today's hero worshipping generation who's afraid to speak its mind and remain politically inactive. It takes a dig at the popular notion that criticizing a country's leader means criticizing its people and the country itself. Though the video is not stating it, it implies that people shouldn't be afraid to oppose Trump in USA or Modi in India.

[@kilgoretrout2878]

+anon anon same thing applies, criticising obama isn't necessarily unpatriotic. People have different views as to what benefits their country, and the true patriot will defend what he finds to be the right thing to do. Of course the "criticism" in the form of "hurr durr birth certificate" is not covered under civil disobedience. What legitimates disobedience is the use of reason.

[@lradmclovin9]

Thoreau is my bro

[@elvolvasky69]

Bernie Sanders my president

[@JJJameson.]

Bernie Sanders You know it Bern

[@andresromerourdaneta5474]

Your comrade*

[@TheJadeFist]

But Thoreau was anti tax.

[@lradmclovin9]

No he wasn't - he was anti-slavery, anti-conformity and against warmongering. Even this very video says "Thoreau didn't advocate the non-payment of taxes as a rule'". Time to get reading.

[@mephistophelesthesilentchi3446]

Well done, School Of Life. For it is the passive democracy, that Socrates had warned us of.

[@massimoscognamiglio7369]

Yes, you are right. This system is weak and must be removed. It gives near limitless control to the bourgeoisie while screwing over the working class. Join the global revolution today comrade and together we will patch up this broken form of rule and bring about a newer, more appropriate way of governing.

[@stinkleaf]

Exactly!

[@eldromedario3315]

Massimo Scognamiglio let's get there through evolution rather than revolution.

[@ASleepyMoose]

Democracy is a horrible form of government

[@andreasklindt7144]

@@ASleepyMoose True, but the alternatives are much worse. In democracies you can, at least in theory, get rid of a bad government more easily, than in monarchies or dictatorships were the leaders have absolute powers. I rather live in a democracy with an idiotic government, where I can raise my opinions against it, rather than under a leader like Hitler, Kim Jong Un, or King Ludwig XIV where I'm put into prison or killed for simply questioning the government. But unfortunatly democracies are also very fragile in nature. If you spread enough fear through its citizens, wether it's about real or imaginary dangers, people often are more than happy to give up their freedom and rights to empty promises of "security" and "safety". It happend in the past, it is happening right now in the world. That's why it is so important for the individual to question everything the governments do! In democracies... in working democracies that are not infected and overrun by fear, it is possible to raise these questions. Democracy is not a constant, it is always a work in progress. Something you've to fight for, so that fear does not eat away the fruits of past generations that give their life for it.

[@robertpaulson4709]

Can't recommend Henry David Thoreau enough in this time of great tyranny and injustice.

[@arlovanegas129]

this is extremely relevant today

[@maxonmendel5757]

the Keynes one too

[@jurgenr.4062]

You hit the nail on the head!

[@devinschaar4499]

Not particularly, if we're talking about the breaking of laws today, it almost always results in violence. Violence in this matter typically falls under civil unrest rather than disobedience.

[@michaelwilliamson2255]

Hands-down one of my favorite writers of all time. Love this man!

[@wtfamiactuallyright1823]

Notice how he didn't use violence...

[@TheRealDoctorBonkus]

Wtf Scully But let the pen be his sword!

[@voiceofexperience]

Wtf Scully Only because there were no "Starbucks" back then.

[@capriphonix8863]

Of course!! People who use violence are not doing it the right way. Fighting fire with fire just makes the fire twice as big.

[@SeiryuNanago]

Actually, don't use pens as swords, you might poke someone.

[@RHolt-dc6zy]

And the Boston Tea Party was really a tea party.

[@vinifg12]

Perfect! Henry David Thoreau was a great human being.

[@bolivar1789]

1. I know, "letting your life to stop the machine" was a metaphor, but it reminded me of one of my heroes who had done that literally! I mean the " Tank Man". The man who stood in front of a column of tanks the day after the Chinese military had brutally suppressed the student led protests on Tiananmen Square in 1989. Every now and then we must watch that video again. It is a strange thing to say but really, what touched me deeply were the plastic bags in his hands. So he was just an ordinary person... He didn't plan a heroic act or anything beforehand. He probably just bought some stuff for dinner and was on the way home. And there he saw the tanks, thought that it was unfair and he didn't hesitate for a second to stand in front of ALL of them!!! Imagine... It cannot be a decision taken in that very moment. It must be the result of an entire life "meaningfuly lived" until that moment, that led him to do the right thing at the right time! 2. Of course a great example of thinking for yourself is Socrates! He had lost his life on that front. There is a wonderful documentary about Socrates on youtube, by Alain de Botton, the founder of this channel. In just 25 minutes you will gain a lot of valuable insights that could seriously change your life. It is really fun to watch too! 3. On his novel " Resurrection" Tolstoy said exactly the same thing as Thoreau. He said: “Yes, the only place befitting an honest man in Russia at the present time is a prison” Coming from one of the countries in the world with the most amount of writers in prison I do agree! One of our most important intellectuals in Turkey, a sociologist named Ismail Besikci, was in and out of prison all his life. He had spent in total, 17 years of his life in jail and he had written most of his books there...Well, 32 of his 36 books are banned in Turkey, because of his engagement in the Kurdish issue... I have seen a documentary about him once and it was so impressive to see the man in the court. Absolutely calm , talking to the judges as if they were his students. There is something very impressive in the calmness of the people who do know that they are right! And may be, may be one of those judges had learnt something from him precisely because of this. Another very valuable writer from Turkey, Asli Erdogan, who came out of prison recently, where she had been held for 5 months without trial, said something I will never forget: " You cannot climb the tree of truth with hopelessness". But she also made another important point, saying that under an oppressive regime, there is no big difference between being inside or outside of a prison! 4. These people get their strength from their sense of dignity and their loyalty to their values. And because they have a "clear mind", they know that they are doing the "right thing". Here is a quote I love, from Gandhi: “It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” 5. "We pretend it all happened only once, at a given time and place. We turn a blind eye to what surrounds us, and a deaf ear to humanity’s never-ending cry." (Alain Resnais, Night and Fog ) If we don't want to end up deaf and blind, we must learn to think clearly in order to see clearly and take the right action.

[@bolivar1789]

Oh, thank you so much for your time also! Have a nice evening:-)

[@OMIMreacts]

Lua Veli again, such an excellent comment! Thank you so very much for the wisdom you share! ❤️

[@bolivar1789]

Hello there Wolkenschweif! Once again, thanks a lot! I hope all is going well with you. Have a nice weekend:-)

[@raphaelreichmannrolim25]

Well said.

[@bolivar1789]

Thank you Raphael!

[@vitamindubya]

So if he were alive today, he'd post SOOO much political stuff on Facebook

[@horstkorn9248]

Thoreau spoke if how society was becoming disconnected from nature and the negative effects of industry. I would like to think that he would be opposed to the frivolity technology allows, bombardment of digital information, and the slight influence it suggests.

[@218nicci]

No, Twitter

[@letmooooo]

hehe

[@MrLokyus]

Thank you for all your videos, The School of Life!

[@henriomoeje8741]

One of my favorite people to teach. He's in our curriculum in TX and hopefully he's not taken out as we revise the TEKS.

[@Samia2123]

Beautiful presentation.Human beings often are required to be reminded of their rights.

[@STELLA_VELUX]

I think that a lot of people needed this, thank you

[@Iamjamessmith1]

Thank you. Great timing.

[@alir.9894]

Once again, many thanks to you School of Life for your illuminating ideas!

[@kayzadiyah3112]

Thank you The School of Life for making this video, now I can understand Civil Disobedience for my English class now.

[@caravanofthieves]

Good timing, will share, thanks!

[@roxanne4820]

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately"

[@lindsaywippler5284]

My AP lang teacher assigned this before knowing about the riots happening today. It's interestingly applicable.

[@charlesb8]

Thoreau used pen and paper, not rocks and fire. Know the difference.

[@BlackCover95]

@@charlesb8 The point of his pen & paper was to inspire the rocks & fire.

[@ratneshagrawal4452]

He influenced Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian freedom struggle. Great thinker and great idea.

[@ghettoracer]

man that was great. thank you for this wonderful introduction to Mr. Thoreau!! he is awesome.

[@namelastname8569]

as a shut in, I find these videos to be the most magical adventures a soul can take. thank you for the freedom :)

[@KL-zg7lu]

Not personally a shut in, but that's cool.

[@JosietheChau]

Thank you for creating this video!

[@pandalyn2267]

So timely.

[@thrilhous]

After the week we had, this was a very timely post.

[@robin-autumn2441]

you put this out at just the right time. Also, this is what I subscribed to your channel for.

[@carlosrosado8889]

Woke, also known as Social Justice or Identity Marxism, is a variant of Marxism that focuses on power dynamics and identity rather than wealth and class. Woke proponents perceive the world as a power struggle among different identity groups, while traditional Marxists view it as a struggle for economic resources among different classes. They advocate for redistributing power among identity groups to achieve equity and a utopian society. However, the woke ideology has been criticized for its illiberal and authoritarian tendencies. It often supports and justifies censorship, violence, and excessive government intervention, which can infringe upon individual rights. Additionally, woke thinking promotes a collectivist approach, prioritizing group membership over individualism. It encourages people to judge and treat others differently based on their identity groups. In contrast, liberalism upholds individualism and does not endorse censorship or violence.

[@josephfichtner4607]

More wonderful content. Thank you for trying to offer another perspective. Very glad this is on trending.

[@NeoNinja340]

Such a timely video. Actually makes me feel much better about the current political climate. Fantastic as always, School of Life!

[@ingebird3380]

It is even more relevant in 2022

[@mekman4]

Much appreciated. I'm not moved by the Trump phenomenon, it's is in a way a a whole body backlash to the subtle pernicious aspects of progressivism. We don't know where this thing is heading, but much like an over due Bible reading, to remember sometimes who one really is, it's great to know how important it is to "come out from under the world, and be separate." It's something I needed to hear, to be reminded how important it is watch ones own mind. It's not easy, but at the very least I like to keep score, no matter how many times I experience the same blind allegiance to discord the script and it's solution are the same. Joining rather than beating wouldn't necessarily end the abuses, (I've watched everyone die who gave up) but make me more subject to them, allow them to place me firmly in a box, and discourage and ignore any real progress or innovation that could be made. Innovation is a frightful thing. Edit: of course one day, we may all be moved by Trump, but for now, it's nice to see some of the bullying return onto progressivism, I can imagine a lot of people who thought this day would never come.

[@--Paws--]

Thank you

[@michaelous0037]

I wish I could like this a million times over

[@1artisticwings]

thank you for these.

[@JohnDoe-om5ho]

"Its not criminal to be an individual!" lol

[@cmebans35]

Truth

[@izzymiozzo]

well timed

[@gustinm]

Very well timed

[@isammolina4842]

Es muy recomendable su lectura.🌹🍃🌹🍃🌹🍃👍

[@ivanboyraz2936]

H.D.T said " Men have become the tools of their tools'! Was he on to something?

[@danpetru]

well said!

[@ivanboyraz2936]

LagiNaLangAko23 - thanks for letting me know I had no idea-! HDT would have laughed (I hope).

[@ivanboyraz2936]

Analogous to Tower 7: Ameaning thanks I knew about Professor Zimbardo's studies but did know about the films.

[@clumsydad7158]

Always a good topic... and extremely timely

[@michaelpesavento8268]

Hi, A good lesson for our times. We should all follow our conscience and stand up for what we know to be the right way to treat people. All citizens deserve to be treated equally under the law without consideration of race,origin,sex,wealth ,status,or political affiliation. The true patriot is also an advocate of the truth,and it must be held in the highest of regards. A lie told to the people by their leaders is a betrayal of the public trust and deserving of condemnation. We the People are in-trusted with holding politicians to account for their words and actions.We all have a fundamental obligation to let our voices be heard and to speak out whenever there is injustice and bigotry. Don't stay quite! Speak out! Call your representatives,it's the best way to affect change. Thanks.

[@danpapworth6430]

A very nicely contructed short film. Really excellent work.

[@hermeso9713]

Lesson learnt: Use your own judgement.

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

A n y w a y . . .

[@vildaray9834]

this was so helpful thank you!

[@christianhill8681]

Found a copy of civil disobedience at goodwill. Been meaning to sit down and read it thru (short). Just keep putting it off thought this might motivate me....

[@titteryenot4524]

Along with Emerson and Whitman, this guy is the writer/philosopher/poet most in accord with my own weltanschuuang. All three are gloriously quotable. Here’s my top ten from Thoreau, in no particular order: 1. *The question is not what you look at, but what you see.* 2. *The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.* 3. *I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.* 4. *You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.* 5. *If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.* 6. *Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.* 7. *I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.* 8. *The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.* 9. *Things do not change; we change.* 10. *A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.* Like stars in the firmament, there are countless others, he is that quotable. Perhaps after all, this is my all-time favourite: *I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.* 🥸

[@cjxgraphics]

Non violence, and think for yourself. 😎

[@michaelphan9879]

Idea of civil disobedience is still relevant today as it was in Thoreau time.

[@iggynieuwenhuizen2395]

very topical

[@altaccout]

Most timeless things are.

[@simonr7097]

Any resemblance to current events is purely coincidental.

[@NahasapeemapetilonX]

cringeworthily so

[@voiceofexperience]

Simon Robillard 😀😁😂

[@GajanaNigade]

No. It's anabolic.

[@oliviahesson881]

This is so important. In school nowadays, whenever someone complains about Trump or the government, they are told to shut up and get over it. I always reminded them of how crucial it is to have freedom of speech and the freedom to oppose even those in power, but I was never able to put the message into such good words.

[@werollins]

Are we not on our final voyage? Is this Titanic slowly sinking in the west? The widespread corruption has the effect of rotting the soul of our nation. " We will destroy the USA from within, without firing a shot."

[@JayTee78NIN]

very interesting. I have never studied Thoreau but now I'll likely take a closer look at his life

[@faithdalton3575]

we need this today

[@moreveganthanyou7261]

i knew this video was coming. well done, SOL

[@mikeharvey9811]

So relevant today. Thanks. Barb

[@chakradharaalla]

"...resign his conscience and put himself under the service of an unscrupulous man in power"....I bow down for this line!

[@Twistedhippy]

I love how you got terry Gillingham to do the graphic for you :)

[@gavinhudson5251]

Gilliam

[@jacksonsouster5428]

Timely.

[@Silentbutsure9]

Wonderful video. Thoreau is essential right now.

[@Bibbo8844hdbks]

It's good to have a James K. Polk president every 50 years or so. He built an independent treasury, cut taxes, we added the entire Southwest and the Oregon territories(Oregon, Washingon, and Idaho.) He did this in 4 years and did not run for reelection.

[@hammeringhank5271]

My favorite philosopher

[@tiffanygroscost9706]

Excellent video thanks a lot!!!

[@cagepatterns]

More videos like this! Lots more like this, please!

[@TheChucnoris]

Yessss.......always such a great job school of life.

[@kmg501]

Convenient timing...

[@bloodbrothera]

School of life you absolute madman! Keep at it.

[@CrossXfire45]

i mean this one deserves like 7 billion more views

[@arassoyalan4070]

Such a great guy!

[@bw4500]

Timely

[@nick-vv1lz]

so fitting to the times we live today

[@dougputhoff]

Great stuff!

[@FelipeKana1]

More more Thoreau!!!!!!

[@i_nisha_yamira9022]

Congrats team... that video and it's way of narration is Amazing 🎈🎵🌌😍

[@HunterTiberisBojangles]

I disobey civility several times a day. Thanks, H.D.T.

[@batofdestiny7801]

I enjoyed reading Thoreau.

[@Mars-kt1kz]

well said

[@AstroLizard]

Very relevant.

[@Bonobo3D]

Excellent and timely!

[@dumesicharchive384]

Don't you people love the jib Jab animation of these videos. The way that they use old photos to portray the times is so good! In the future when they make videos about trump, they will have all this hd 4k hyper resolution HOW BORING.

[@joaocarlossilli7223]

Mutias Gracias! 😗 Me instruiu

[@charleslotara]

He was just one of a kind, I mean David Thoreau.

[@jss61]

Crazily applicable to today. Wow.

[@charlesb8]

It had for 50 years. You just now noticed for the last 2 years 😳

[@mikeydinsmore]

i love this! this is awesome 🙌

[@zmemosa660]

Very helpful analysis for required pupils of English Literature..

[@awesomedwarfeatsyou]

As if i was reading about this today, and then here is this video

[@cdcanada7182]

I love the comparison. All of us can learn from history if we can accept facts and get out of our echo-chambers for 5 minutes.

[@xzonia1]

I really need to read Thoreau now.

[@letmooooo]

i read hitler

[@baphometsaturno4626]

Nailed.

[@Thomasfboyle]

A similar video about Lysander Spooner would be great!

[@Bariom_dome]

I never met him and I really respect his way of thinking.

[@macvena]

Thoreau's politics are not, nor were ever ignored. He's the archetype for a protester.

[@janeprince3639]

Well, I can't believe Henry Thoreau's essay appeared in my timeline while a tyrant is rising as a leader in my country right now. Now your idea become my weapon because we serve only our own mind and conscience.

[@Harshith_Chowdary]

A tyrant is already the leader of your country. How blind are you Americans with your left-right ideologies? Biden is taking your country to the gutter. No wonder American excellence is going downhill. Such a shame🤦🏾‍♂️

[@tashagray8078]

There's great power in numbers, if everyone stopped paying taxes and abolished our government things would definitely change

[@BigDickEnergy777]

Just living in your own conscious way, as i see is a way to make change, the trap would be not having intention on one's thoughts.

[@cmebans35]

Black US 👍

[@cherishtheday2223]

Found out that we are related via genetic testing. Interestingly enough, I chose "Civil Disobedience" to use for my college essay, years ago, without knowing. It wasn't even my favorite book or one I'd read at the time.

[@mooseinbeesocks2700]

Just bought this book at a thrift last week haha perfect timing

[@maldoran9150]

Very timely, although I'm sure there were people citing the same pamphlet when Obama was in power.

[@BakaHoushi]

Which is fine. You always have the right to protest, under any circumstances. And, also for the record, if you have a protest and some people get violent and make it a riot, that doesn't discredit the protest or the people in it, just those that went beyond the "civil" part of civil disobedience.

[@ozymandias-saidcomorian3871]

as they should. You shouldn't give up independent thought just because you trust the leader.

[@Tom_-]

Violence invalidates everything - which is why some protests have seen paid-for thugs turn up to ruin the message. It works practically every time.

[@bza069]

a community organizer is a euphemism for low level street thug..usually marxist.

[@jss61]

@@Tom_- I don't think so--violence does happen when there are people of strong opposing opinions and terrible, undisciplined tempers. It does not/should not detract from the protest.

[@gyst8878]

Well said, makes me feel a little better knowing history is just repeating itself, things well go back to normal eventually I hope.

[@carloscordova7873]

My president makes me feel like my life is a reality show.