Henry David Thoreau lying in a boat.

The Value of Doing Nothing

I’ve been reading Walden again, and Thoreau reminded me of the value in doing nothing.

Thoreau would paddle his boat to the middle of Walden Pond, pull the oars in, and then lie on his back across the seats until the boat eventually drifted to shore. This would take hours, and in that time, what was one of America’s most famous thinkers doing? Nothing.

According to Thoreau, sometimes the most industrious thing you can do is be idle (171).

Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.

-Eddy

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Works Cited
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden and Civil Disobedience. Vintage Books, 2014.

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    author avatar
    Eddy Hood
    I’m Eddy Hood, host of The Read Well Podcast. I love getting lost in big ideas and great stories, and I started the podcast to help fellow readers tackle challenging books with confidence. I’m studying philosophy, running Edgewater Bookstore, and slowly chipping away at writing a novel.

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