The Transcendental Challenge

    The transcendentalists were known to practice living a simple life, one filled with nature and unmaterialistic things.  The greats that followed this philosophic idea included Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They were both raised on the materialistic and prosperous ways of the Puritans, but they soon realized that to really achieve spiritual well-being you must have a close relationship with nature.

      I realized that this idea was popularized in the mid-1800s, almost a hundred and sixty years ago.  What if Thoreau and Emerson were alive today? Could they be able to escape to nature and follow their transcendental ways without a GPS to get them there, or an iPhone to instagram an edited picture of the beautiful scenery? Oh! And they can’t forget their North Face jackets to keep them warm!  My point is that in the 1800s escaping to nature free of materialism was so much easier because they had little.  If Thoreau and Emerson grew up in present day, a time of huge technological advances, then this idea of transcendentalism would be slightly different.  Sure, the ideas of optimism, freedom, and self-reliance would remain intact but cancelling out materialistic objects would probably have to go.  Think about it, how many things do we have but don’t really need, such as iPods, kindles, and designer clothes.  Now, think about how hard it would be to cut all of those things out of your life; I believe that Thoreau and Emerson would have just as hard of a time as you.  I challenge Thoreau and Emerson to try and live a transcendental life-style in our corrupt era where fashion is the Bible (Vogue) and football, instead of church, is on Sundays.