Thoreau and Civil Disobedience 

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."

Thinking and questioning is always an act of disobedience.

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

I know what you did there.

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

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

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

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

this is extremely relevant today

Thoreau is my bro

Perfect! Henry David Thoreau was a great human being.

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

Notice how he didn't use violence...

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Thank you. Great timing.

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

Good timing, will share, thanks!

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

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

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

Thank you for creating this video!

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

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

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

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

A very nicely contructed short film. Really excellent work.

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....

well timed

I wish I could like this a million times over

Always a good topic... and extremely timely

"Its not criminal to be an individual!" lol

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

So timely.

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

this was so helpful thank you!

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

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

thank you for these.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Lesson learnt: Use your own judgement.

very topical

School of life you absolute madman! Keep at it.

Wonderful video. Thoreau is essential right now.

i knew this video was coming. well done, SOL

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.* 🥸

So relevant today. Thanks. Barb

Excellent video thanks a lot!!!

Thank you

Great stuff!

Excellent and timely!

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

Non violence, and think for yourself. 😎

i mean this one deserves like 7 billion more views

I hope they do more videos like this. Getting tired of every video being about love or relationships. Not saying that stuff is bad, but it gets tiresome quickly.

I really need to read Thoreau now.

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

i love this! this is awesome 🙌

Convenient timing...

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

I enjoyed reading Thoreau.

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.

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.

Very helpful analysis for required pupils of English Literature..

Very relevant.

Such a great guy!

we need this today

More more Thoreau!!!!!!

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

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

Great video, great thoughts

A similar video about Lysander Spooner would be great!

4 years later and your video is still being used in school.

Mutias Gracias! 😗 Me instruiu

Well when I read my Henry David I tend to be pretty Thoreau.

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.

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

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

My favorite philosopher

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

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

Timely

I wish people nowadays thought more independently.

This time I very much applaud your choice of subject, Alain. The message is not too subtle though. I hope.

Timely.

I like your work. Infortunetly I can't understand the whole stuff. Is that possible to translate it in french? Or add French subtitles? Thanks!!

well said

so fitting to the times we live today