The True Value of Time: Reflections on Thoreau’s Critique of Labor and Life

In his book Walden, Thoreau made quite compelling thoughts on labor and how people, through ignorance, subject themselves by it.

Thoreau started off writing an account of the present conditions and circumstances of the town of Concord, Massachusetts back in his day. His observations were that people were obsessed with making a living. People were too occupied by it as if life is comprised of labor alone and there’s nothing else a man ought to do.

“Most men, through ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life...”

Not only did they busy themselves with work, but they unknowingly subject themselves to coarse labors for the things they think they need.

“But men labor under a mistake. The better part of the man is soon ploughed into the soil for compost. By seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed… It’s a fool’s life, as they will find when they get to the end of it.”

What is the best part of man? Well, what is the most valuable thing that every man has? Time. It’s how we choose to spend our time. And how can we know this?
I spent some time thinking about it myself and came up with this answer: If it is spent doing something that adds value in our life. Creating value that not only you can benefit, but including those around you.

When we were able to give something of value and with a light heart, we are greeted with a kind of satisfaction that could never be derived from money. It’s a satisfaction that comes from the act of ‘giving’ which far outweighs the act of ‘taking’. This is what living is. This is what a life well-lived would be. Well, at least for me.

Working or making a living is definitely necessary, but it is NOT the only “necessaries” in this life.

Most of the time, people work to earn money so that they can buy the things that their neighbors have or buy things that the neighbors don’t have. Now, this is definitely not the best use of our time. There’s no value incurred at all. Like casting pearls before the swine. And to quote Thoreau on this: It’s a fool’s life.