Am I lonely or seeking solitude?

With social distancing in full effect, we are coming to face what many of us don't like to face. Being alone. Many poets have expounded the varying aspects of being with oneself, be them positive or otherwise. The idea of solitude and loneliness are ones that have been expounded and considered through out the years. With social distancing in full swing we are once again confronted with the age old dilemma of being alone with ourselves and our thoughts. Why is the idea of being alone so frightening for some? Take a closer look at some literary classics and you may see a trend where being alone seems to equate to a sense of madness or societal disapproval. Have you noticed that many solitary literary characters are dubbed as reclusive or even difficult be they men or women: Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre) or Miss Havisham (Great Expectations) may ring a bell. Have we become conditioned to see solitude as a place where the unhappy go? I am a firm believer of confronting what may scare us the most. In a similar vein to the concept of being busy, it would be advantageous for us to understand why we may see being alone as something that is to be feared rather than explored. The term hermit comes to mind as we think of solitude. The person who seeks out quiet in order to think and understand the world as they know it. The word hermit itself originates from the Greek term eremia meaning desert which in turn is itself rooted in the term eremos or desolate. This connection or rooting of the original term interests me as we seeming shift from the idea of choosing to be alone to being alone being viewed as a somewhat of a self exile or removal of the possibility of. Interestingly the philosopher Schopenhauer believed that we would all be better off in solitude, despite many people labeling Schopenhauer as depressed. Perhaps it is time that we re evaluate our association with the idea? Why we all need some solitude from time to time: As American philosopher Henry David Thoreau confided: “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” We can all agree that after a long day, our brains appreciate some time and space to rest. The quiet and lack of distractions gives us the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. Not only does solitude help build mental strength, it has also been proven to increase our empathy, help our children learn better and ultimately improve productivity. Having that time and space to find the right equilibrium can really help us find that centre state of being we are all striving to achieve. #satuppada #sati #mindfulness #solitude #covid19