Henry David Thoreau once said: “Our life is wasted on details. An honest man hardly needs to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add the ten toes and lump the rest together. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million, count half a dozen, and keep the accounts on your thumbnail” (Il). This quote describes the attitude Thoreau had towards life. He wanted to make life as easy as possible, which he achieved throughout his life. Henry David Thoreau was part of the Transcendentalist movement, which took place roughly in the years 1836 to 1860. Transcendentalism was a major literary and philosophical movement that began as a reform in the Unitarian church. Transcendentalists believed that all humans were one with nature and that there was no such thing as evil. Transcendentalists believed that if a person was connected to the natural world, they could become Christ-like (American). There were many factors that played a role in the reasons for Thoreau's writings, such as his strange personality and the way he chose to live his life. Henry David Thoreau's writings were influenced by the way he lived his life. He was considered different by many people because he wanted to be alone most of the time. (Olson). Because of this, he did not interact well with others in social situations, which often made people angry at him (Olson). He also never had a stable profession, never married and always moved from house to house (Olson). All of this was connected to Thoreau's impulse to achieve simplicity. Thoreau went to Harvard University, where he studied to become a teacher. When he graduated, he began a journey... middle of paper......p://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/henry-david-thoreau>.Olson, Steven P. Henry David Thoreau: American naturalist, writer and transcendentalist. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2006. Print.Potter, Tom. “Reflections on Thoreau: Thoughts on Walden.” Ebscohost.com. EBSCO Industries, Inc. and Web. "The Henry D. Thoreau Quotes Page: Simplicity." Walden.org. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1906, n.d. Web. 11 May 2014. .Witherell, Elizabeth. "The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau." The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau. Princeton: Princeton University Press 1973, nd Web. 07 May 2014. .