"Most men live lives of quiet desperation", this quote said by Thoreau is one of his famous quotes with a lot of great meaning. He is saying how most men live lives of anxiety, worry, fear, distraction, and nervousness. It is saying how men live their lives according to others and society but secretly wanting to live life in a totally different way. It is also saying how most people will go through their entire lives never becoming who they were meant to be, never living the life they were born to live, and never realizing their true talents they have. We, the people of the present generation, still have the chance to live our own lives any way we want to and to not live lives of quiet desperation.