Confined. Isolated. Alone. Words much of us may be accustomed to as of late and all words we associate with negativity and loneliness. Fearful adjectives distilled in our pre-wired subconscious minds. All too often solitude is mistaken for loneliness, the act of being alone wrongly perceived as negative - the socially inept act of an introvert. But, is being alone really all that bad? Is there something we are missing?
Human beings have a natural hunger for social interaction and companionship. We long to be connected to one another and to feel part of something larger than ourselves. Having rallied as hunter-gatherer tribes for more than one million years, the simple act of togetherness and teamwork is built into our genetic code. Most of us work with others, exercise/play sports with others and live with others – our entire daily lives revolve around spending time with other people.
And, although this does feed our insatiable need for camaraderie and community it can also leave us feeling drained and undervalued. Being in a group limits our own cognitive thinking and decision making whilst simultaneously hindering our emotional response to certain situations. Typically, all social groups work using a democracy type system – the preferred preference of the highest ratio of members is followed. Now, as harmonious as this sounds, this does not always follow the desires of each individual member of the group, forcing an act of selfless settlement amongst the disagreeing members, ultimately leading to a lower sense of freedom and individuality.
Could it be possible that we block and impede a number of creative and masterful ideas by continually thinking as a group?
Being alone for an extended period of time allows us to strip away the preconceived ideals and society driven limitations that are bestowed upon us, learning to truly understand our own individual desires. And, with this we can learn to look closer at the paths we have taken to accomplish goals we may not genuinely value, allowing our own ideas to become more buoyant as we unlock the creative sense within ourselves. Often, the need to impress others around us and appear sophisticated and smart blocks our flow of creativity. Unlocking this flow reinstalls a sense of trust within our own problem solving thought process. We are drawn to those who are fluid and flaunt their difference instead of finding this quality within ourselves. Slowly we start to realise that we have become oppressed by our own self-imposed lack of freedom.
Constantly being in the company of other people can also hinder our own productivity levels. As much as socialising with friends and loved ones is fun and fulfilling, consistently doing this does not allow much time for us. Our individual work on specific goals, self-reflection, learning and planning for the future. Being alone for as little as one hour can give us a new sense of refreshment, inspiration and enthusiasm. A chance to accurately map out plans for the future with no risk of judgement from others. This feeling is liberating and addictive. The chance to honestly decide for ourselves allows us to feel more content and emotionally satisfied, and ultimately this leads us to being more present in all aspects of our lives.
Self induced alone time can also lead to a reduction of anxiety driven thoughts. The art of brain stillness and heightened self awareness has been applied for thousands of years through the practice of mediation. Listening to our thoughts with no judgement or pressure allows us to deal with mentally challenging situations in a more composed and calm way. Being less emotionally invested in the things we cannot control in life can allow us to make better, more logical decisions. This quality does only benefit ourselves but everyone around us, too.
Conclusively, the introverted act of solitude gives us time to reflect, to regroup and to recalculate. Time away allows us to think more clearly about our own decision making skills, ultimately leading to a truer version of ourselves. This lets us to stay present and appreciate time with loved ones but to not be moulded by it. Distance and difference are the secret tonic to creativity. When we return to social situations, the situations are still the same. But, something in our mind has changed and that changes everything.
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Artwork by George Greaves
