I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. Better if they had been born in the open pasture and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in. Who made them serfs of the soil? Why should they eat their sixty acres, when man is condemned to eat only his peck of dirt? Why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born?

Summary

This quote is from Henry David Thoreau's essay "Life Without Principle." Thoreau criticizes the burden of inherited property and possessions, suggesting that those who have such assets may feel trapped and limited by them. He argues that it would have been better for them to have been born without any inherited wealth, as that might have provided them with a clearer understanding of their purpose and potential. Thoreau questions the concept of ownership and the necessity for individuals to spend their lives merely accumulating and maintaining material possessions.

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