A secondary ideal evident throughout the essay, Economy, was learning and doing for oneself. On multiple occasions, Thoreau mentions that one must rely on something other than the older generations to teach them and tell them what they must do. Instead, he points towards the idea that one must find out and live one’s life in a way that they are happy living; one must learn from oneself rather than wait for someone older to lay out what to do. Thoreau’s point is to pursue your way and find your means of living and life, not that of those years ahead of you. Interestingly, he goes against the widely accepted ideal of learning from those wiser and older. However, Thoreau claims that older generations do not know more than the younger generations; they find their way and accept it.