Solitude is considered as the necessary thing in practice by philosophers during the different episodes of history. I’d like to look into the deep reason for this claim.
As for average person, solitude is always associated with the sense of nothingness and dullness. An individual without anyone accompanied can’t get mental and emotional support when they confronted with setback. He can’t share his happiness with others when he achieved success. Consequently, even his success merely leads to the greater depression because the more he success, the less things left to his endeavor. Without the specific goal in his career, nothingness will overcome his compassion and deprive of his last power to enjoy the life.
The person described above usually can gain success of certain degree, and because of his success, he becomes more solitary and misunderstood by more people around. His happiness, dignity and self-satisfactory, powered by his vain and introvert personality, is the barriers to the communication with others. Other people with well-intention may easily hurt by such attitude and ascribe the aloof and eccentric attitude to his arrogance. Then gap deepened without the obvious consciousness.
I don’t think such is the just one advocated by great philosophers. Solitude is necessary for its contribution to our intellectual life and willpower. If it becomes the passive factors in our life, we’d better discard it at once. So now I want to explore the positive solitude instead.
Though solitude unable us to share our feelings and thoughts to others directly, we gain more free time and space to reflect on the private issues that don’t evoke others’ interest. We can’t deny the differences between people and some of them can’t be overcome by the intimate relationship forever. Differences can’t be the main reason to stay lonely, but the substantial differences, which associated with the basic principles of life and ultimate concerns, can separate two close friends, intimate lovers, and even a warm family. Somebody looks so sweet and fit our character that we are eager to make acquaintance with him/her. But without the shared outlook of the world, a person with strong responsibilities and creativities won’t attempt to make further development in their relation. Remember, characters and personalities merely are the perspectives uncovered in front of other persons; they all depend on the atmosphere and condition, they can be cultivated and represented to certain purposes. More stable things are his/her worldview and individual preference unconsciously revealed by small talk.
When an individual lived in the substantial different group and alienate atmosphere, the struggle for the genuine-self begins. It never ends unless an individual finds new ground shared by surrounding person. Then understanding begins, and compromise also begins? I don’t like such over-simplified description. The solitary person should find the genuine reason of his solitude, that’s the justification of his struggles for genuine-self, or everything will become the absurd. So I’d like to discuss with you on the demarcation between the positive solitary and negative one. Hope we can also get new inspiration and guide to our life.