Thoreau is very open with his beliefs about the media and news especially in Self Reliance. He believes that it has too much influence in society and that the masses are influenced too much by the news. Thoreau also points out the human draw to negative news. He states that the news only has negative stories, which is still mainly true today.

“This whole earth which we
inhabit is but a point in space. How far apart, think you, dwell the two most distant inhabitants of yonder star”

Thoreau is personally responding to the common question he gets asked, don’t you get lonely? He responds by saying compared to the big picture he isn’t lonely at all compared to other celestial bodies. He also makes us realize that we ourselves are lonely compared to the others in space. So why would he be lonely when he’s only a couple of miles from town is his point he’s trying to make, exposing the human need for connections and relationships.

Christianity, the predominant religion of the Americas at the time of Thoreau’s life created this illusion that heaven was high above us both intellectually and physically. Thoreau believes that haven is all around us because first of all the Earth is a beautiful place and that we are connected to the Over-Soul through nature, which is all around us. The way he would reach haven was by trying to connect with the world around him, which is intellectually possibly to everyone.

“where yesterday was cold gray ice there lay
the transparent pond already calm and full of hope as in a summer evening, reflecting a summer evening sky in its bosom, though none was visible overhead, as if it had intelligence with some remote horizon”

Thoreau tends to give natural phenomenons emotional feelings. Through this personification, Thoreau can connect to the world and nature having a deeper and emotional sense invested into it. He also mentions changing of seasons, which can be interpreted as us humans changing intellectually. We can go from I time of oblivion gray and coldness to a warm bright time of enlightenment.

Thoreau noted that within a few days of walking to and from his cabin he had already created a foot path that was noticeable. In sense he realized how delicate nature is and how easy man can damage nature and leave a mark by just living out his life. He cautions of the gentleness of nature and how destructive humans and human nature can be towards nature, an issue that is more relevant than ever now for our generation.

“Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them. Things do not change; we change.”

Thoreau leaves his cabin experiment stating not to leave our friends or experiences for new ones too much because of the loneliness it will leave us with. He does warn that continuing on the same path and routine is dangerous as well. He calls for a balance of routine and old as well as new experiences and adventures.