Hey, y’all! Solitude is one of those things that tends to get a bad rap in modern society. People who are are alone are usually pitied. But I feel like that’s a gross misunderstanding. So pull up a chair and let’s talk solitude.
First, what is solitude?
Solitude is a state of being alone. It’s one of those things that we always hear about and has negative connotations associated with it. Being in solitude is usually associated with being lonely. But that’s not the case at all. There are a few distinctions between solitude and loneliness.
The thing that usually contributes to the association is that a person in solitude and a person feeling lonely could both be physically alone. But some people are lonely when they’re out with their friends or chilling with their partners. And some people are off by themselves and never once feel lonely. So what’s the difference between the two?
Loneliness is an involuntary negative feeling. Solitude is a choice
Being alone straddles a fine line between being a boost or a drain. Which is why it’s important to note what makes solitude positive and isolation negative. The main difference is the voluntary nature. Solitude is something we opt into and can return to society whenever we wish. Isolation is imposed on us by society, leading to loneliness.
Humans are social creatures, so it should be no surprise that there are numerous examples of how isolation can negatively affect people. The reason for this is because the person is alone against their will. And that eats away at a person, no matter how you look at it.
On the other hand, solitude can be incredibly beneficial to our development and to living our best lives. Let’s talk about why.
Solitude allows us to look inward
That might sound weird to a lot of people, but let’s talk about that. During most of our day to day lives, we are constantly stimulated. Whether it’s our phones, the radio, the tv, or other people, we are receiving nonstop interaction and information. While this has plenty of negative effects on us, from affecting our sleep to our relationships, another thing it prevents us from doing is processing.
Let’s compare this to working out. When you go to the gym and lift weights, you’re causing micro-tears in your muscles. During the time you spend resting and recovering, your muscles heal and grow, becoming stronger. So when you go back to exercise, you can do more than before. But if you don’t take that recovery time, then your muscles won’t heal fast enough and you might get injured.
And our minds work the same way. To grow, heal, and strengthen our mental state, we have to rest our minds from the constant information they’re normally bombarded with. We have to give them time to look inward, to process everything that they’ve experienced, and to achieve new insights.
Solitude allows us to look inside ourselves. If we let it, it can give us self-awareness and let us learn more about ourselves. It can give us opportunities to be creative and to solve problems. But again, that’s only if we let it.
A wise woman once told me that silence was like an apple served on a gold platter
The implication is that things served on platters, especially one made of precious metals, are immensely valuable. An apple, though, is almost mundane in concept. It’s something that most people encounter daily. But it has so much power within it when utilized. And solitude is the same way. When practiced consistently, solitude can drastically impact our lives. And I don’t know about you, but I need more solitude in my mine.
Thanks for talking humans with me today! How do you feel about or use solitude? Let me know in the comments below. Share this with one person that you think will get something out of it. And don’t forget to talk humans with someone this week. Ciao!