Does It Matter, If We Strive for Solitude?
A Brief Review on the Notions of Spirituality from Within — An Insider’s Perspective
What is Solitude?
A feeling of isolation or a state of being alone by one’s self. It can be defined by either such definition. Is it a sensation of freedom from the inner struggle that we all suffer from, such as desire, temptations, lust, carnality, and vice-versa? or does it equate to something much mystical!?
Solitude plays a significant factor in religion, as most religions teach you a way of life to normalize yourself to given rhetoric that builds your persona to better fit and adjusts to the values of a modest and just society. It is said that solitude can help you realize your inner conflicts as well as help you correlate with the outer struggles as well.
“The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.” ― Aldous Huxley
It allows you to think freely, and perhaps visualize yourself in a peaceful state away from the disturbances of life itself, to achieve a state of tranquility.
People usually meditate to achieve this state, some put themself in isolation in nature away from everything that causes them to lose focus on themselves. Whereas, others try to build their resolve by following a religious practice to pray and cleanse their souls through hardships and pilgrimages.
“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.” ― Albert Einstein
There is much more towards a journey of solitude than just practicing a given technique or isolation, there is indeed an immense struggle of casting away one’s selfishness and temptation; to avoid such forms of ways that are catastrophic to the inner self. Though, this can cause an immense amount of pain in the life of a person who chooses to undergo such a path of life.
There are certain imminent forms of threats and challenges he or she does face when it comes to leaning towards the religion of solitude, as they either isolate themselves away from the world or they get alienated entirely.
Perhaps in some cases, some will walk towards the path because they don’t have anything left in the world to choose from, but then again there will be those who will aspire to live a better life away from the common pleasures of the world that comes at a cost, of destroying your inner self.
My paths in life have always seen its fair share of tragedies, experiences, loss, and decay. Solitude is one such aspect that I believe I have known for as long as my memory holds. There are different forms of solitude, I have experienced in life that have given me extreme joy, sadness, grief, despair, and finally peace but at a cost, that still feels like two black holes crushing one another.
“Solitude is fine but you need someone to tell that solitude is fine.”― Honoré de Balzac
As far as I remember there have been times that life has been allowed me to tread upon certain paths that were full of obstacles and grief, some perhaps were too hard to handle as the emotional trauma that came with such experiences were difficult to process, but everything becomes clear in time.
“Solitude gives birth to the original in us, to beauty unfamiliar and perilous — to poetry. But also, it gives birth to the opposite: to the perverse, the illicit, the absurd.”― Thomas Mann
Solitude is a hard aspect to follow through, at times it feels like loneliness but the immense sensation it brings is rather confusing, it doesn’t cause you to feel pain, rather there is a sense of peace, and patience that just blends inside you. Imagine being in a calming state and you might never lose your cool, but in some cases, you will, if there is a struggle of the outer with the inner.
Solitude doesn’t give you full freedom, because as soon as you return to the land of the outer self, chaos awaits. As chaos is a necessary factor in the world we live in, it persists in everything we do, it is working against us but like your inner peace, its a part of the same coin.
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”― Michel de Montaigne
There is something peaceful about the qualities solitude blesses upon you, it gives you the ability to think in a very clear manner, and gives you a sensation of mindfulness that helps you to connect with everything that’s happening around you.
In my life, I don’t usually meditate to gain this nor do I follow through a specific guideline or course. Most of what I have gained is through building tolerance by experiencing extreme forms of hardships. But I do meditate at times to regain my composure towards the intricacies of my inner self to balance the flow of peace.
“Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is richness of self.” ― May Sarton
I believe tolerance and perseverance build your path towards a life of all these magnificent traits that await you on the end of this journey, but many don’t usually make it and quit because they believe they won’t be able to handle the sheer agony and stress that comes to one person who goes through so much to experience this calming sensation.
“Who hears music, feels his solitude Peopled at once.”― Robert Browning
Nothing in life is ever easy if it was you probably wouldn’t appreciate it, and neither would you be grateful for it because you never put your all into it, thus you will never realize the value of your efforts and yourself and that will cause you to lose.
From a spiritual perspective, solitude is a feeling of calmness and control. It is a definitive sensation that is present in your heart and mind, thus it gives you the certainty to feel, and be at peace in all situations. It doesn’t need any physical form, it is reasonably a mental state of mind.
“I was a man who thrived on solitude; without it I was like another man without food or water. Each day without solitude weakened me. I took no pride in my solitude, but I was dependent on it. The darkness of the room was like sunlight to me.” ― Charles Bukowski
But if you suffer from an emotional trauma through the outer self, there is an immense threat of struggle and suffering that will be caused when your inner and outer self’s clash. It is inevitable as the outer self will always be accustomed to newer changes as the world will keep on throwing certain obstacles that the outer self has to surpass if the inner is at peace; it will seem like a difficult but possible task.
“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.” ― Rosa Luxemburg
Because, even though your inner self can be at peace, it isn’t to say that you will not feel pain, as you cannot throw away the gifts of life, such as the connections you bear, and the love you share. Solitude in this regard can be an experience of self-reflection in isolation from everything else can also help you to learn, and maintain yourself to exercise the experiences generated through the results gained by your efforts, however, failure is a necessary factor that plays a vital role for you to succeed.
To experience solitude at a young age, can help you realize more about yourself and your life and your soul. It is a journey that is a very difficult process but in itself a challenge that calls for an opportunity to experience something truly benign. If you adorn a perspective that aims to resolve themselves of the worries of the world around you, solitude is perhaps the only way, casting aside everything you hold dear is a scary thought, though you won’t be casting your love nor your faith.
“Solitude sometimes is best society.”― John Milton
But the things that have led you towards feeling this pain, are going to be cast out. Poor habits perhaps, even usage of materials that you have taken a liking towards, people whom you aspire to be with but act as a double-edged sword that cuts you every time you try to connect.
The peace that comes with solitude is self-sustaining, it never withers at times it will feel like poison if you’re all alone, as all of us have an innate desire to connect, there will always be a struggle and thus there will always be room to learn.
“Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god.”― Aristotle
You will find parts of yourself that lay dormant in solitude, as your imagination and your personality will be groomed by your own choices, insanity might even wait for you there, many such outcomes lie on the other side of the journey that you’re aiming to make.
I personally never wanted solitude, neither did I aim for peace and tranquility, as a child I was always calm so I never really needed to delve in such forms of activities or states. My imagination helped me to cultivate friendships, perhaps even as a child, I was fascinated by the nature around me, it gave me the joy to appreciate everything around me, it might seem strange but as a child, I had an appreciation for everything that I was blessed with.
“There is scarcely any passion without struggle.” ― Albert Camus
I do not know when this feeling of peace within my self manifested, but I believe it’s volume and sensation grew as I grew as a person. The struggles and pain, I have felt; the people I have lost, the friends that I have bid my goodbyes too, the elders who once loved and adored me, the gatherings of loved ones I once attended who are nevermore.
“If a man cannot understand the beauty of life, it is probably because life never understood the beauty in him.” ― Criss Jami
After a pilgrimage, I realized we all have everything within us, we chase it on the outside but it always persisted in the deepest darkest corner of our hearts, our soul locked away confined by the mortal shackles of our outer self.
Through, the pain I realized that when we channel our pain to break such chains we can feel the peace that lives in all of us, standing there was an epiphany that gave me the realization that the peace was always within, it had never to do anything with the outer self.
Perseverance is the key to balance inner peace with the outer self.
Yes, it matters if we strive for solitude in our lives, we have been striving for it all our lives, but instead of searching on the outside — look within yourself there is a world that lies hidden away, your self awaits for you to find them there, someday. When you do, it will give you the ability to feel at peace, finally.
To conclude this anecdote, I would like to leave with some wise words that are true to what solitude is at its core and what I have been able to understand and self reflect throughout my lifetime.
“Solitude is independence. It had been my wish and with the years I had attained it. It was cold. Oh, cold enough! But it was also still, wonderfully still and vast like the cold stillness of space in which the stars revolve.” ― Hermann Hesse
