Solitude: 7 Modern Lessons

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A man can only be himself as long as he is by himself, and if he does not enjoy solitude, he will not love freedom, since he is only really free when he is by himself and not when he is among other people. Arthur Schopenhauer

It is believed that there are two primary features that have helped humans stand out in our evolutionary journey: our distinct ability to see in three dimensions and our capacity to collaborate with others.

Many people believe that the fact that we have a social instinct is one of the primary reasons why we have managed to survive in an environment that is so fraught with peril. The vast majority of the wolves enjoyed being a part of a bigger social structure, despite the fact that there were a few solitary wolves scattered here and there who had been able to make it on their own.

Something really extraordinary has started to take place in the world over the course of the last several decades, in conjunction with the advancement of science and technology. The production of goods on a huge scale is now feasible, and the rise of mass consumerism may be traced to the explosive growth of the media advertising industry as well as to the unveiling of the ego, sometimes referred to as our sense of identity.

All of a sudden, we are taught that each of us has the potential to be different from everyone else, to stick out from the crowd in the way that we dress, the vehicles that we drive, and the homes that we live in. Consumption culture has given us a means of expressing our uniqueness, and the constant stream of new innovations that promise us a better life and manner of living has contributed to this trend.

Along with the development of a more robust sense of self inside of us has come an increased need for the satisfaction of our own needs. Today, more than ever, people are looking for ways to satisfy their need for self-actualization as distinct individuals. This is made abundantly clear by the abundance of psychologists, gurus, and life coaches that are conveniently accessible to us at the press of a mouse. On the other hand, the more we participate in the answers that are offered to us by our culture of materialism and ambition, the farther we find ourselves from experiencing any kind of inner contentment.

It’s easy for us to become sidetracked while we’re looking for solutions in the outside world, and when this happens, we tend to forget that the majority of solutions may be discovered inside ourselves, provided that we make room for them to emerge.

Since our sense of self has grown so robust, it has become more open to the possibility of its own evolution, also known as involution, as well as personal development. This is because of the fact that it has become more self-aware. I have a strong suspicion that we are at the start of a process of personal development that will need a significant amount of solitude to facilitate.

It is a wonderful period for us to be living in, and if we start working on our acceptance of solitude right now, it will be much simpler for us to develop into the people we are meant to be in the years to come.

When you find the time and space for solitude, you may learn these seven important life lessons.

Solitude Centers You

How often do you have the impression that life is living you rather than the other way around? Because of the fast-paced world in which we live, we often get the sensation that our lives are governed by the obligations, schedules, and expectations that are a part of our daily routines.

In the course of talking with other people, we skim the surface of a wide variety of subjects without allowing any one of them to totally engulf us. Your attention will feel more focused after spending time alone in solitude as opposed to being pulled in a variety of directions by various social or environmental stimulations.

2. Being Alone Allows You to Reconnect With Yourself

In this day and age, stimulation is easy to get by, and it is all too simple to lose track of time by clicking aimlessly around Reddit or YouTube, playing games on your mobile device, or watching an unending quantity of television. The fact of the matter is that technology separates you from yourself.

On the other hand, the issue is not with the technology itself but with the way we choose to use it. It captivates our fleeting attention and diverts our focus away from the genuine introspective work and effort that we should be putting in. In addition, social media provides us with a shallow feeling of socializing, which, in contrast to sexual activity, is a genuine, deep, and multi-dimensional friendship comparable to masturbation.

3. Being Alone May Help You Become More Genuine

When you first become aware of all of the ways in which other people have influenced the person you are, it may be rather startling and even alarming. When I questioned many individuals why they picked the professions they did or the areas they lived in, many of them told me that they did so because of their friends or family. I have asked many people why they chose the careers they have or the places they live in.

It is not difficult to get employment at an establishment in which your friends are employed or to move to a location close to that of one’s family members; yet, it is possible that such choices may not be true to the person you are ultimately destined to become. The choices that are most accessible to us in our lives are not always the ones that are the most authentic to who we are. It is common for us to forget to listen to ourselves because we are so preoccupied with what other people are saying and doing.

How many individuals continue to live in the same city that they were born in, maintain the same friends from high school, and work in the same field that they wanted to study when they were young? At some point in our lives, I’m convinced that we made these choices because they were uncomplicated or clear to us at the time. Spending time alone enables a person to better understand himself and their requirements.

4. Being Alone Gives You Room to Develop as a Person

Although, in many respects, we are all related, there are moments when we need to separate ourselves in order to make room for our own development. The majority of us are responsible for others in our lives, whether it be as friends, spouses, parents, or sons and daughters. Nevertheless, these obligations have the potential to restrict you.

When you conform to the expectations that the people around you have, it makes it harder for you to discover the boundaries of your own capabilities and potential. It takes a lot of energy and effort to participate in social dynamics; if you want to actually develop and advance, you will need to channel the intensity of the energy and focus you expend into pushing yourself to new limits.

5. Being by Oneself is Good for Creative Thinking

The majority of the world’s most significant creative masterpieces and innovative discoveries have been produced when the creators were alone. Being alone may act as a catalyst, allowing the time, space, level of intensity of attention, and energy that are essential to bring anything to life.

Because there are no interruptions from the outside world, solitude gives you the opportunity to delve deeply into your ideas, your perception of beauty, and the things that are real inside you.

6. Being Alone Allows You to Be a More Enjoyable Company

As you go through Solitude and learn more about yourself, you may find that you develop new hobbies and pursuits of interest. You will develop into a more intriguing person if you continue to pursue these hobbies and cultivate them.

Spending time by yourself allows you to discover the motivation and space to study unique areas of knowledge, and as a result, you amass information that is valuable enough to be shared.

Because they spend so much time together, people in certain groups of friends tend to recycle the same anecdotes or jokes over and over again. This is something that I’ve seen. Nobody goes out of their way to pursue intriguing hobbies or expertise, and as a result, people only have a small library of information that they continually exchange with one another.

7. Being in Nature Teaches You How to be by Yourself

Although many individuals have this misconception, being alone does not always mean you will experience feelings of loneliness. Experiencing loneliness drains your energy and is a weight to bear, yet being in your own company may re-energize both your body and mind.

What about being alone, or in solitude? The experience of solitude teaches you how to be by yourself and revel in your own company without experiencing feelings of isolation. If you are able to be content in your own company, you will be able to stop “leeching off company” and stop relying on other people to alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness. This will have a positive impact on your social life, which will also benefit immensely from this ability.

Solitude, on the other hand, enables you to take pleasure in the presence of others in a manner that is unrestricted, concentrated, and free of any covert motivations.

The Practice of Learning to Enjoy Being Alone

We all need varying amounts of alone time, and it really just comes down to our personalities. But in this day and age, being alone is extremely necessary.

Being alone gives you the chance to get to know the truest version of yourself and provides the space necessary to conduct self-reflection. You are able to regain your sense of balance and command over your life when you spend time alone.

To appreciate solitude, it is not necessary to lead a hermit’s life; rather, even brief intervals of solitude are sometimes sufficient. You may bring more solitude into your life by doing things like reading a book, going on lonely walks, choosing one day a week to go without electronics, having a soothing bath, or simply spending a few hours in the garden just admiring the beauty of nature. These are just some of the ways you can bring solitude into your life. Whatever helps you the most, I say!

Share with me in the comments some of the ways that you make solitude a part of your daily routine so that I may learn from your experiences.

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