When people think of solitude, they usually think of being physically alone, feeling a sense of loneliness or emptiness. However, Henry David Thoreau, a leading transcendentalist, believes that rather than focusing on the distractions in the world, surrounding yourself in solitude allows one to disconnect from the distractions of the world, allowing more focus to reflect and truly understand oneself. Even so, there must be a limit to how much isolation a person can take. Humans are naturally social creatures, and even in today's society, social interaction is a part of practically everyone's daily life. Too much solitude can be detrimental; therefore, finding a balance between solitude and interaction can prove to be beneficial to one's physical …show more content…
Clearly, Weinstein highlights that people who spend longer periods of time in solitude tend to have more problems with their mental health, resulting in “feelings of loneliness”, isolation, and alienation, often contributing to mental illness such as anxiety and depression. Lack of socialization and healthy interpersonal interactions can lead to lack of sense of belonging and difficulty in establishing connections. Lack of socializing and positive interpersonal relationships can cause a person to feel disconnected and find it difficult to make friends. Furthermore, without support from others, depending solely on oneself for emotional support may increase pre-existing mental health conditions and raise underlying stress, both of which can result in unhealthy behaviors and coping techniques that worsen mental health. Overall, even though Thoreau's theory holds some truth to it, it doesn’t excuse the fact that the “benefits” of isolation are mere optimism as it doesn’t work for everyone and can be a detriment to a person's mental health rather than …show more content…
This emphasizes how loneliness can surpass the mortality risk of several well known factors, and how detrimental isolation can actually be. Because of isolation, proper social connection and support is not available, leading to unhealthy behaviors such as fatigue, weight gain, and chronic pain. In addition, Walbert Waldinger states that, “Loneliness is a stressor.And because it correlates with reduced social activity, that can mean you’re not being exposed to or accessing healthy behaviors as much”(Gehrman). This supports that “loneliness is a stressor” which can lead to multiple harmful outcomes to one’s overall health because they don't have that emotional, or physical support that they need from social interaction. Social interaction is important for physical well-being because it can provide positive emotional support and reduce stress by developing a sense of belonging and connection with others. To add on, positive relationships and feelings may boost our resistance to illness and improve our general physical well-being, this includes better sleep, a lower chance of sickness, and increased physical
Pantell, Matthew,et al. “Social Isolation: A Predictor Of Mortality Comparable To Traditional Clinical Risk Factors.” American Journal Of Public Health 103.11(2013): 2056-2062. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 April 2014.
Isolation can be a somber subject. Whether it be self-inflicted or from the hands of others, isolation can be the make or break for anyone. In simpler terms, isolation could range anywhere from not fitting into being a complete outcast due to personal, physical, or environmental factors. It is not only introverted personalities or depression that can bring upon isolation. Extroverts and active individuals can develop it, but they tend to hide it around crowds of other people. In “Richard Cory,” “Miniver Cheevy,” The Minister’s Black Veil,” and “Not Waving but Drowning,” E.A. Robinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Stevie Smith illustrate the diverse themes of isolation.
I-Chieh Chen (2015) in The study The Scale for the Loneliness of College Students in Taiwan (http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jedp/article/download/46795/25238) stated that Loneliness was initially studied by Sullivan (1953) (A Peplau, D Perlman, LA Peplau… - Loneliness: A …, 1982 - peplaulab.ucla.edu) who proposed that loneliness was an unpleasant and intense experience related to unsatisfied requirements for intimacy (http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jedp/article/download/46795/25238). Sullivan’s research was all but neglected in his time. This neglect lasted until 1973, when Weiss, an American scholar who was an adherent of Bowlby’s attachment theory, published an article entitled “Loneliness: the experience of emotional and social isolation” (RS Weiss - 1973 - psycnet.apa.org).
What do people think of when they hear the word solitude? For many, it evokes a negative connotation, but in reality, those same people carry false associations with the word. Solitude is the state of being alone. It is not the same as being lonely, which is the dread of being alone. Despite these erroneous myths of solitude perpetuating many minds, the truth is that everyone can benefit from solitude. Humankind’s greatest inventions were conceived and developed in isolation, and even with this fact, many individuals do not realize what is lost without solitude. William Deresiewicz, author of “The End of Solitude”, reflects on how society no longer appreciates solitude and how technology is responsible for it. Additionally, Susan Cain, author
Solnit touches on Rousseau's use of ambiguity in regards to solitude throughout his writings when she says, “He portrays human beings in their natural state as isolated dwellers in a hospitable forest” (20). This passage reflects the idea that human beings belong in nature. A human's “natural state” according to Thoreau is isolated in a hospitable forest. Man is peaceful in the forest away from the distractions of society and able to contemplate freely. Solnit expresses this same concept of man belonging in nature isolated from society troubles when she writes, “Wandering in forests, without industry, without speech, without domicile, without war and without liaisons, with no need of his fellow men, likewise with no desire to harm them”(18). Similarly these two passages discuss the same idea that humans are in their “natural state” in the forest. Humans when away from the distractions of society such as industry, or war, are able to engage in a heightened level of thought process and clarity. Once in this relaxed, clear, state of mind man will no longer feel the need for fellow men or harm
People need interaction with other people because it is such a significant part of how they understand the reasons for living. Human beings are naturally curious. Therefore, by drastically reducing the amount of normal social interaction, exposure to the natural world, or experience of different relationships, isolation is emotionally, physically, and psychologically destructive. Works Cited Faulkner, William. The.
In William Deresiewicz’s essay, “The End of Solitude,” he describes how technology has made it impossible to be alone. Media, social networking sites, television have so much influence on our mind that our lives revolve around these things. Everyone wants to be recognized, famed and wants to be appreciated by others such that being alone isn’t appealing to them. William Deresiewicz argues that being alone is a vital part of life and everybody should try to achieve that solitude in their lives, but with technology it has become impossible to be alone when we have technology in our pockets. He suggests that solitude is very important to hear God and to hear our inner selves. He compares the eras Romanticism, Modernism and
"…Races condemned to 100 years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth." These powerful last words of the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude ring true. The book demonstrates through many examples that human beings cannot exist in isolation. People must be interdependent in order for the race to survive.
This brings us to the parallel experienced by the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contemporary research delves deep into the profound effects of isolation on mental health, shedding light on its detrimental impact across various dimensions. Studies indicate a stark correlation between isolation and mental health disorders. According to “Social isolation and the brain: effects and mechanisms” from the online database called Molecular Psychiatry, “Social interactions are considered a basic human need, analogous to other fundamental requirements such as nutrition and sleep”. Not only is this a lifelong need, “primary socialization” is a critical period in human development that occurs within the first 6 weeks of life.
Thoreau brings up the idea of loneliness in a very interesting way. He refers to loneliness more as a state of mind than a physical phenomenon, stating that one can be surrounded by people and still feel very lonely inside or be by yourself and not feel lonely at all. This is something I feel that a lot of people are able to relate to. He also talks about how he prefers solitude saying, “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude” and discusses how people spend so much time in the company of others that they are not experiencing life between conversations. Thoreau used his time alone for introspection and to become more acquainted with nature. Although he was not that far from society, I would imagine that spending most of your time alone in nature would feel truly isolating so, I admire the way that Thoreau turns solitude into something useful and
The transcendental movement that swept to the forefront of philosophy from 1830 to 1860, is defined as “loosely bound together by adherence to an idealistic system of thought based on a belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of humanity, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience for the revelation of the deepest truths” (“Transcendentalism | Definition, Characteristics, Beliefs, Authors, & Facts”). Thoreau, a prominent figure in transcendentalism, praised the significance of individualism, and connections with nature, oneself, and God throughout his celebrated book, Walden. The 1864 collection of essays, Walden, by Thoreau, depicts transcendentalist ideals about the importance of solitude through metaphors
Alone time forms a void, which people often replace with mundane activities in order to not feel uncomfortable. Isolation from the busy rituals of life is a necessity rather than a punishment. Like a transcendentalist, Thoreau explores what it means to truly find solitude. Being alone and being lonely are presented as two divergent states of the mind. Thoreau does not admonish society but argues that individual solitude is necessary for society.
Loneliness is a common human emotion involving an individual’s awareness of a deficit in personal relationships (Asher & Paquette 2003, as cited by Dunn, Dunn, & Bayduza, 2007) combined with distress resulting from feelings of social isolation (Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010). Further, Cherry (nd) described loneliness as mental state associated with thoughts and feelings of emptiness and aloneness. The effect of loneliness in children may be mild over relatively short periods; however, over long periods, or chronic loneliness, individuals suffer from lower self-esteem, sadness, separation from peers, and missed opportunities for enriched experiences (Bullock, 2003), and ultimately experience emotional and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression (Jobe-Shields, Cohen, & Parra, 2011). In the most extreme situation loneliness has been associated with suicide (Marano, 2003).
I chose the topic of regarding solitude because most people do not like to be isolated and alone. They would rather be noticed and have a desire to grab the attention of others. This is an important issue because humanity should not be afraid to show individualism. This essay should inform others that living in solitude is not a terrible idea. Living in solitude can benefit a person in various ways.
Such a simple definition for something people consider so bad and complex. A poet known as Halmos in 1952 said once, “ I have discovered that all the unhappiness of man arises from one single fact, that they are incapable of staying quietly in their own chamber”. Alone time has always been important for our everyday lives but some choose to believe it is toxic. However alone time is extremely good for your health and beneficial to your life. Spending time alone has numerous benefits and today I’m gonna mention just a few. According to a 2015 study from the the Mercola health organization, “spending time alone helps your mind and body process information and stress from your