Here are some examples:
* From "Walden":
* "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
* "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."
* "Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not indispensable, and by denying ourselves of them, we gain a real independence which is far beyond all price."
* From "Civil Disobedience":
* "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison."
* "It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right."
* "The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right."
Thoreau's philosophy emphasizes individual self-reliance, living in harmony with nature, and questioning societal norms. He believed that true poetry and philosophy emerge from genuine, individual experiences and thoughts, free from the constraints of social expectations.
Therefore, while not explicitly naming a single thing, Thoreau's works suggest that conformity, societal pressure, and the pursuit of material wealth and comfort all stifle authentic expression and genuine thinking, ultimately hindering both poetry and philosophy.