Shelter: a simple necessity

[Nick]

Thoreau writes "Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have." (Walden, 31)

Q: If the only shelter we really need is four walls and a cieling, why do we obsess over surrounding ouselves with luxuries and unnecessary things that burden us with debts?

Interesting note: "But a man has no more to do with the style of architecture of his house than a tortoise with that of its shell" (Walden, 41)

[Grady]

I like this question a lot. I think the human need to surround itself with "luxuries" shows something unique about human nature (as opposed to nature--that of the tourtoise) and that is the need for aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. This, along with other ostensible needs, like property, recognition, belonging...are what separate us from other creatures. Now, the need to "keep up with the Jones's" is where a person who enjoys beauty and comfort crosses over into shallow territory when they need to compare themselves to others or measure their worth relative to their possessions or their neighbors' belongings.