Gentle mocking

In his essay Walking, Thoreau offers a witty critique of those leading sedentary lives, working from morning till night, and sitting all day.

“When sometimes I am reminded that the mechanics and shopkeepers stay in their shops not only all the forenoon, but all the afternoon too, sitting with crossed legs, so many of them—as if the legs were made to sit upon, and not to stand or walk upon—I think that they deserve some credit for not having all committed suicide long ago.”

I can’t help but chuckle at his words. Thoreau’s humor just hits differently.
Many people, including myself, admire Thoreau’s incredible sense of humor, while others perceive his remarks as condescending. After all, the shopkeepers and mechanics kept Thoreau’s world alive and bustling with productivity by their diligent labor.

Taken at face value, his statements might seem condescending, arrogant even. However, knowing Thoreau’s reflective personality might lead one to think otherwise.

Thoreau values living with intention – to live deliberately and treat life as we would our most precious belongings. Surely, whatever that cherished object may be, we would, no doubt, handle it with great care to preserve it for later use.

He’s not mocking shopkeepers and mechanics at what they do for a living; his criticism is directed at how people choose to spend their lives in such a stifling or lifeless existence – one divorced from nature.

Personally, I would say that it's a gentle mocking – a necessary nudge, long overdue. Thoreau did mention at the beginning of his essay that he views man as part and parcel of nature and not merely a member of society.

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