Are you living a life of quiet desperation?

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau wrote A Life in the Woods. One sentence has always stuck with me – “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

I think that it’s true. Most people who are reading this are making a living. Not enough money to be independent, but supporting their families week to week, month to month, paycheck to paycheck. If they are laid off or fired, then quiet desperation will become serious desperation as they don’t have much, if any, in savings, but must support their families.

They borrow money from banks who entice them with zero or very low interest rates, for a while, then jack them up as fast as possible using all types of gotchas, techniques designed to enslave the borrower to a life of high interest payments. Live now, pay later.

This is why the public is nervous about the future. We used to be a country where we would applaud innovation and success. We are becoming more of a nanny state where many people are dependent on government to look after them.

That’s good for politicians. The more dependent people there are in their districts, the easier it is to offer more and more of other people’s money to support the masses, who’s only value to the politicians are their votes.

What’s happening to America? Are we living lives of quiet desperation, or are we still free and independent?

I prefer to live the life of freedom and opportunity, not desperation and dependence.