“I never found the companion that was as companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad than when we stay in our chambers.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Merriam Webster dictionary defines “Solitude” as “a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates or simply the state of being alone”.
The more I think about the meaning of this word, the more I ask myself “Is it really needed, can it do me any good?” and the more I find myself arguing both in favor and against it.
Here is my argument in favor of it first.
You however don’t need to be a monk to find solitude, nor do you need to be a hermit to enjoy it.
It’s indeed a lot art in these days of ultra-connectedness especially when you have so many innovative means like computer, internet, cell phones, chat, email, face book, twitter, and smart phones for all the geeks out there. How much more do we need to stay connected? I mean none of these existed 30 years ago when I was growing up. Now I find myself getting restless that one day I don’t check my email and I don’t remember doing the same for snail mail when I was growing up.
I don’t remember the last time I walked alone on a water front /sea shore and enjoyed the melodious music of the waves or read a novel under the shade of a tree or read a printed news paper or for that matter just drove to enjoy the beauty of nature. I haven’t written a snail mail letter in over 15-20 years and if you ask me why, I would probably reply with an answer “who writes snail mails these days or haven’t you heard of email?” Now a day’s almost everything that I do requires my laptop and internet for e.g. I want to get directions, I go to MapQuest or Google, I want to check the latest news, I go to CNN or Times of India on my laptop or on a smart phone, etc. I cannot imagine my life without the internet, can you? We have all become a slave of technology and in doing so we have forgotten to truly be ourselves and enjoy the greatest gift of God “Life”.
Sometimes I really question “Is technology is a boon or a bane?” Solitude has become all the more necessary in this world of technology geeks.
Solitude- an eternal bliss
If you think about it, the best art is in fact created in solitude, it’s only when we are alone that we try to reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul, peace. Some of the biggest problems and puzzles are solved when you spend time alone to ponder. Some of the most famous philosophers take daily walks, and it is on these walks that they discover their inner thoughts. Some of the best blogs are written in solitude funny isn’t it?
Just a few of the benefits from solitude that come to my mind:
- Provides the food for thought
- We face our demons , our worst fears, and find ways to deal with them
- Provides the opportunity to unwind, and find peace
- Time to reflect on our mistakes, and learn from it
- Isolation from the influences of others helps us to listen to our own inner voice
- Quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar
The real benefits of solitude cannot be expressed through words, but can really be found in doing. Sometimes you really need to break away from the slavery of the technology and this internet world to rediscover yourself. You need to disconnect from email, from Face book and Twitter i.e. from forums and social media, from instant messaging and chat, from news sites and blogs, turn off your mobile device; turn off the idiot box aka TV, the computer. All you need to do is to just pick up a notebook and start jotting down your thoughts with a pencil or a pen or take the canvas and reveal your artistic abilities. You will be surprised with your abilities.
Can you really argue against it?
Am I out of my mind talking about “solitude”? We would go back to the dark ages if we start talking about recluse. God created human beings to connect with each other. Human beings are social animals, they need to share, talk, meet and find a companion. Computer and internet are the greatest inventions of its time and being an IT consultant, why would I want to deny myself from things that make my life easy especially when I earn my living from it?
Having said all this I would still love to just get away from this mechanical life and bless myself with an opportunity to rediscover myself and enjoy the eternal bliss of solitude. Have you tried it yet?
“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.” ~Albert Einstein
