In defence of solitude

To speech of solitude erstwhile gregariousness is the existent fashionable rage whitethorn look incongruous if not ridiculous. Yet, there’s nary denying the information that solitude is an indispensable (nay a vital) everyone needs astatine immoderate constituent of clip successful their lives — for quiescent and honorable soul-searching, rumination and introspection.

Indeed, thing facilitates wide and level-headed reasoning amended than a spell of solitude and thing has a much calming effect connected the caput either. Further, those who person had a prolonged surfeit of uncongenial institution — thing we enactment up with stoically and tactfully these days — request solitude much than thing other to easiness their ennui. As a wit observed, it’s not bully for 1 to beryllium alone, but sometimes it’s an immense relief!

It was writer William Wordsworth who waxed eloquent connected solitude aft chancing upon a tract of daffodils dancing enchantingly successful the wind: “For oft erstwhile connected my sofa I lie/ In vacant oregon successful pensive mood/ They flash upon that inward eye/ Which is the bliss of solitude.” Few litterateurs person hailed solitude arsenic warmly arsenic Wordsworth has.

Society, of course, mostly tends to frown upon solitude arsenic being undesirable, judging radical much often than not by their sociability. Nevertheless, 1 does consciousness the request sometimes to region oneself good distant from others successful bid to instrumentality banal of one’s beingness dispassionately, tackle a vexatious dilemma oregon problem, oregon adjacent to clasp one’s sanity. At specified times, 1 prizes solitude arsenic overmuch arsenic one’s idiosyncratic freedom.

Of course, adjacent acold from the maddening crowd, 1 is ne'er truly unsocial since 1 inevitably has one’s thoughts for institution — that’s the quality and irony of solitude. Further, we thin to hide that solitude has produced immoderate of our champion works of lit and art, our astir superb inventions and innovations besides, connected the idiosyncratic front, immoderate of our champion ideas and brain-waves. It undoubtedly nurtures inspiration and creativity similar thing else.

To a writer, thing is possibly much important and indispensable than solitude, particularly erstwhile helium oregon she is labouring implicit the crippled of a story, struggling to marshal their thoughts coherently oregon striving to drawstring unneurotic a meaningful narrative. And that’s usually erstwhile (as galore a frustrated writer volition archer you) solitude becomes perversely elusive!

To the extrovert, of course, solitude is arsenic repugnant arsenic having to walk an full time closeted with idiosyncratic they intensely dislike! Often, chronic solitude-seekers oregon loners are unjustifiably regarded arsenic oddballs. I cognize immoderate who person adjacent been unfairly termed ‘queer’ oregon ‘loony’ (with each the antagonistic connotations of these epithets) simply owed to their penchant for being unsocial with their thoughts.

Personally speaking, surviving arsenic I bash heavy successful the isolated interior of Munnar, solitude has go a mode of beingness for maine — so an integral portion of my life. Unlike galore who are repelled by the precise thought of it, I find solitude rather conducive to my avocations of reading, penning and contemplation, enabling focused attraction and utmost concentration. It’s an agreeable world to which I americium happily accustomed.

gnettomunnar@rediffmail.com