Thoreau And Konnikova Essay

Authors, Henry David Thoreau and Maria Konnikova, both take on a similar view towards technology in that technology has negative impacts. Thoreau in his essay, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” focuses on his love for nature, arguing that humans in society should take life at a slower pace and enjoy life surrounded by nature. Thoreau claims that technology renders peoples’ lives instead of making them simpler. However, Konnikova in her essay, “Do You Think like Sherlock Holmes?” states that technology diverts a lot of attention as well as it affects the behavior of people. Thus, both authors’ solutions differ. Thoreau turns down technology, eliminating it from his life, while Konnikova accepts technology to a limit, focusing more attention on the world around her. Even though Thoreau’s essay is more eloquent, it is not practical, but rather idealistic. On the other hand, Konnikova’s essay is much more …show more content…
Konnikova strives to think like Sherlock Holmes, attempting to improve her mindfulness by limiting herself to technology. She states, mindfulness “can be a weapon against one of the most disturbing limitations that our attention is up against: inattentional blindness” (Konnikova 321). By saying this, Konnikova is attempting to conquer her goal of improving her mindfulness to decrease inattentional blindness exacerbated by technology. On the other hand, Thoreau believes that technology is not compatible with mindfulness so he rejects it completely. Thoreau states, “I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms” (161). Thoreau’s belief is that a good enjoyable life is simple, not rushed, and most importantly