Value of Solitude for Kierkegaard and Sartre - Essay Example

The Value of Solitude

Introduction

Human beings are generally said to be social beings that always value and benefit from the company of others. As a result, those who seek to be away from others in a society are usually viewed as escapists who have psychological or social problems. However, there are scholars who argue that solitude may be beneficial in certain circumstances. For example, Barbour argues that when one has discovered the spiritual and value of solitude, he can benefit from it in a number of ways (1). Specifically, he maintains that the common perception of solitude as an escape from reality is not correct because it is a new way of engaging with it. Therefore, solitude is a positive way for human beings to engage with the world without the distractive influence of other people.

Grumbach explains that she experience spiritual and psychological benefits when she spends time alone. Ironically, the first benefit is the appreciation of the value of other human being, which is captured in her wish to hear the voice of another person (Grumbach 14). More importantly, she states that the solitude helped her “listen more intently to the inner self” (Grumbach 14). This is important in helping her discover her strengths and weaknesses. She adds that it is the first time she thought of what she wants in life, which had been impossible in the presence of others because the thoughts and opinions of others sometimes overwhelm an individual’s (p. 14). Additionally, she states that this is the first time she did not care whether she was succeeding or failing in life. This means she accepted the current status and did not compare herself with others, since she was alone (Grumbach 15). Therefore, solitude gave her the opportunity to appreciate herself without the need to rate her success on material benefits or in comparison to others. Thus, solitude is important in making a human being think of his strengths and weaknesses as an individual.

Nonetheless, she feels weary because of lack of company and begins longing for the presence of other human beings. The state of loneliness rises to levels that make it difficult for her to think, which she narrates in the line “I can’t her myself think” (Grumbach 16). She also says “I found I had become bored with the sound of my own thoughts…” (Grumbach 17).As much as the first days of solitude were beneficial in self-analysis and discovery of the inner strength, prolonged periods begin to psychologically wear her down making it impossible to carry out routine tasks. As the days increase, she becomes more desperate for company, stating that prolonged solitude is a battle she would wish to end (Grumbach 17). To summarize the mixed feelings she experiences, she advices those who wish to stay alone for some time to know that it is not an easy undertaking, stressing that it may only be suitable for the very old who no longer have a lot of need for company. For the young, she advices them to prepare for a tough and difficult time (Grumbach 18).

Similarly, Byrd experiences both psychological and spiritual benefits and deficits when he stays in solitude. His first experience is the discovery that being alone is psychologically disturbing. He states that when he tried to carry out the tasks he has set out to accomplish, he realized that it was a difficult endeavor and that he even rushes out of the enclosure in the hope of meeting someone to keep him company (Byrd 19). He feels alone and afraid and regrets the decision he had made to be alone.

Nonetheless, he also experiences periods of great comfort and spiritual wellbeing. He states that he felt the whole world was his (Byrd 19). This can be interpreted to mean he was spiritually satisfied with the state of affairs. Furthermore, he states that he realized that he needed very little to be alive, and this made him appreciate himself for who he was and not what he owned. In short, the solitude afforded him an opportunity to learn the value of a human being without the material benefits that people use to judge their value. Like Grumbach, Byrd also learns the value of other people in his life. He confesses to repeatedly thinking about the crew who were several miles away and regrets having told them to stay away for so long (Byrd 20). Furthermore, he realizes that he is a poor cook; this makes him appreciate the value of other people and that he has forgotten the cook book. What one can conclude from the experiences of both is that solitude accords one time to concentrate on things which he may have had no time.It is an opportunity that one takes to deeply reflect on such things because there is much distraction in the natural world.

In light of the foregoing experiences of Grumbach and Byrd, Barbour is right when he argues that solitude can be used to add value in the life of an individual (Barbour 1). He adds that solitude can help individuals who have negative or strained relationships with the society to come to an understanding with others, just like it helps Grumbach and Byrd understand themselves and appreciate the value of others in their lives. He adds that solitude is a spiritual experience that brings meaning and understanding to life and a connection with both the external and the internal world (Barbour 1). However, I should add that there are other ways in which one can establish a linkage with their inner selves and other people without resorting to solitude. Actually, there is no evidence in the writings that attempting to achieve these aspects without solitude does not succeed. Also, there are many episodes in the narrations of both Grumbach and Byrd that show that solitude is a traumatizing experience and that it can lead to psychological disturbance. Due to this, Barbour’s portrayal of solitude as the solution to most human problems is not entirely accurate. This point is emphasized when one considers the fact that Byrd essentially suffers physically during solitude and he almost dies due to the decision to isolate himself. Therefore, it is difficult to agree with Barbour’s strong endorsement of unlimited solitude.

Furthermore, Long and Averil point out that many philosophers and religious artists have attested to the positive attributes of solitude (4). However, they do not discuss any attempts to objectively study the possible negative attributes that solitude can result to. Furthermore, an analysis of the experiences of Grumbach and Byrd shows that there are negative aspects and risks that are associated with solitude, which may be psychological, physical, or spiritual. Also, they argue that solitude provides human beings with freedom and enables them to engage in mental activities that are impossible in the presence of other people (Long and Averil 5). They add that the best way for writers to come up with creative ideas to write is to spend some time alone and meditate. Nonetheless, this argument may not be entirely true for all people because there are many artists who have come up with highly creative writings and paintings without having to seclude themselves. This proves one can still think well and be creative in the company of others.

An interesting suggestion from Long and Averil is that intimacy and social cohesion can be increased by one taking some time away from all other people (Long and Averil 7). Actually, they begin by pointing outthat this may be paradoxical. They observe that many people experience feelings of intimacy when alone. This, in their opinion, is helpful in their social lives once they unite with fellow humans. This cannot be exclusively true. The feeling that one needs the company of others when he is alone is proof that solitude is a negative experience. The feeling is a result ofbody and the mind in demanding the presence of other human beings because it is being deprived of this essential component. Moreover, there is no corresponding evidence in the articles to show that while in the company of others, the body demands solitude and seclusion. It is difficult to get convinced that one can make his relationship stronger with another one by going away from them.

Finally, there is a suggestion that all people who have chosen solitude at one point have experienced spiritual growth. This comes in the form of feelings of connection with God and other supernatural powers (Long and Averil 7). They also state that in other cases, one feels the imaginary presence of intimate people around them. According to Long and Averil, this is positive and everybody should try to experience it. However, they do not exhaustively show that these feelings cannot be experienced while in the company of others. On the contrary, many people have had their first spiritual connections after being helped by others. Actually, they observe that there is no conclusive research to conclusively state that seclusion leads to spiritual growth (Long and Averil 8). Moreover, religion itself grows in a society as a result of experiencing the connection with other human beings, and most of what people know about it came from the teachings of others. Thus, solitude alone cannot help bring about spiritual growth.

Conclusion

While the writings portray solitude as an experience worth the effort of every person, they fall short of convincingly stating that the achievements people make while in seclusion are due to the absence of others around them. This argument is made stronger when one considers the fact that other people have come up with similar achievements without secluding themselves from others. It may be argued that what appears to be the result of seclusion in coming up with religious or creative works is actually a result of dedication to the work, which can be achieved even without seclusion. Also, there are possible health risks that are associated with seclusion, and in some cases these may outweigh the supposed benefits. Therefore, one can conclude that while there are some benefits associated with seclusion, there are also many negative effects associated with it.