What's So Bad About Quiet Desperation?

Thoreau identified this condition of "most men," and Pink Floyd famously seconded it on their masterpiece, Dark Side of the Moon. They say it like it's a bad thing! It looks to me like unless you are Oprah there are going to be some compromises and a fair amount of slogging involved in creating a good life. No, Neil, it's not better to burn out than fade away.