Importance of Enjoying Solitude

We all need to communicate with others and establish affective relationships. However, this does not necessarily mean that loneliness is a negative option. In such a context, it is necessary to differentiate this word with another that one can sometimes confuse: isolation.

Understanding isolation to decipher the true value of solitude

Whoever has the desire to communicate with others but for some reason cannot do so is in a situation of isolation. Prisoners who are confined, the mentally ill, people kidnapped or forced to remain incommunicado or individuals with a disability that limits their communication They are examples of those who experience isolation as something frustrating and undesirable, since in all these cases the option of solitary confinement has not been freely chosen.

The people affected by these circumstances would like to break their isolation, but there is some reason that prevents them from doing so.

On the other hand, it must be remembered that some individuals have difficulties relating to others and this leads to social isolation.

In any case, it is a type of situation that is clearly harmful, since it produces anguish and suffering.

It is possible to enjoy solitude

Meditation, the introspection or prayer are activities that can only be fully carried out in solitude. In these moments, the individual moves away from the bustle and distractions and finds himself without any type of interference. Something similar happens in certain creative activities, in which solitude is the ideal context to find inspiration and the necessary inner strength.

Although by definition we are animals social, we can feel alone surrounded by people and, conversely, accompanied in our solitude. We are alone and at the same time accompanied when we remember moments of fulfillment or when we know and feel that others are emotionally connected to us.

It can be said that loneliness is not a matter of being accompanied or not, but rather a state of mind.

We can learn to enjoy solitude as long as we are satisfied with ourselves. From inner self-satisfaction it is possible to find the pleasure of solitude without fear or anguish.

The list of moments of pleasure associated with solitude is practically endless: reading a good book, contemplation of the starry sky, a night walk through the historic center of our city or the simple observation of the nature.

Image: Fotolia. Antongor, Christoph