Understanding Civil Disobedience We all encounter at least one instance in our lives where we are told to do something that seems to go against our moral code. Unfortunately for most of us, we will end up doing these things because of some authority figure or severe consequences. But what are the implications of defending one's morals? This is what Thoreau tries to answer in his essay Civil Disobedience. The following article aims to answer this question by relating it to what Thoreau said about civil disobedience. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This appears to be a question with another question hidden within it. That is, at what level is your personal integrity? Naturally everyone objects to some of the things they are asked to do, but they end up doing them anyway. If your morals and beliefs are that strong, you should have no problem standing up to a figure that requires you to go against them. On the other hand, perhaps this is an ideal hope. Thoreau believes that every man should defend his beliefs passively. However, he states, “even voting for the right does not mean doing anything for it” (Thoreau 673). As a result, we have to take a stand on something in order to disagree with it. If we are against animal cruelty, let's stop eating fast food. If we don't support the current war, let's take down the flags. Sitting back and simply saying you're against something is almost as bad as taking part in it. Thoreau also writes: “He who gives himself entirely to his fellow men appears useless and selfish to them; but he who gives himself partially to them is declared a benefactor and philanthropist” (Thoreau 670). This firmly represents Thoreau's beliefs on conformity. A man who indulges the ideas of others and puts aside his own is a fool; a man who understands the ideas of others and draws his own from them is truly wise. Thoreau believes that man has the ability to create a wonderful civilization, but we must all do so by our own individual means. These ideas of civil disobedience are interesting concepts to grapple with. Each person at a time thinks to himself "What if I just don't do it?" Maybe we should all answer this question and accept the consequences as they come. As long as our civil disagreements remain within the realm of modern morality, at worst we should only serve a few years in prison. Thoreau believes this is the best thing that could happen, actually. In fact, this would bring us closer to getting in touch with our inner genius. Of course, most people believe that family is more important than their own opinions, so this rarely happens. So now the question becomes: what is more important, family or values? Now, of course, many will say that family and values ​​are the same thing, but, for the purposes of the point, they only concern personal values ​​to the exclusion of the value of family. Every person has the tendency to remain strong in their values ​​and follow them in every moment of life. However, once a person forms an intimate relationship or family, their values ​​may need to change. In some cases, a person's values ​​will have to completely reverse just because they have started a relationship. This question seems obvious at first glance, that is, many people would agree that family is more important, but Thoreau would say that a real family would love you equally, if not more, to stay strong in your values. Family is the result of values, as most relationships are based on.