Growing up I’ve always admired the ‘hermit” lifestyle. The idea of living alone in seclusion with just my books holds a certain appeal to me. Is this excessive romanticism of something that’s not very “pretty”? I don’t know.
As the years have progressed, post-divorce and with teenagers who have their own separate lives I’ve realised that I spend quite a lot of time alone, this compounded with the fact that I am a long-distance trail runner means even more time alone. And honestly, these have been happy hours for me — but, this has made me question if there’s such a thing as too much solitude?
After some reading and study, I have found that a lot of how a person handles solitude has to do with their personality (in retrospect this is probably an obvious conclusion).
Some people are more disposed to spending time alone and some other people need to have other people around them. It’s a case of Introversion vs extroversion I suppose. Personally, I need a lot of time in solitude for me to be able to function in society on a day to day basis.
The idea of the beauty of solitude is not a new concept, looking into history a lot of cultures had and still have sectors of society for which solitude is the main characteristic. Monks for example choose to live a life of solitude. The “walkabout” practised in the Australian Aboriginal culture, is a rite of passage during which one undergoes a solo journey where they live alone in the wild for as long as six months.
Artists, scientists and writers have all gone into periods of self-isolation to create their art, or make breakthroughs in their industries. So much so it seems for advancements in society, science and technology to occur solitude is essential for the individuals who improve the world for us.
In summary, the benefits of solitude are Creativity, problem-solving, Self-discovery, Enlightenment, Emotional refinement, self-enrichment, freedom, inner peace, relaxation. [source: The Handbook of Solitude; Wiley Blackwell].
According to Wiley Blackwell, some solitude is essential for normal functioning in society, it is essential to take time away from society to be okay/ productive and healthy. Time alone enables one to get back to one’s self and is crucial for mental health. According to Winnicott (1965), solitary time is also important to identify the “self”.
On the flipside, solitude has and is still used as a form of punishment. Consider, the naughty corner for a young child as a form of punishment. There’s also solitary confinement in prisons.
In some cultures and religions, ostracism a manipulation of the darker side of solitude is used as a way to control cultural and religious norms. Extreme Isolation may also lead to mental issues such as depression. Dare we mention profiles of people who commit crimes such as serial killers, perpetrators of such violent crime usually live very isolated lives.
There is also the not so pleasant emotion of loneliness which is brought along by forced isolation.
Like everything else in life, there is both a negative and positive side to solitude. The underlying differentiator seems to be that selective solitude is definitely more positive whereas when solitude is forced or endured because you are excluded by society then it turns darker.
In conclusion, I guess I relate well to Karen Armstrong’s quote -’ I like silence; I’m a gregarious loner and without the solitude, I lose my gregariousness.”
