No solitude is not healthy. Only our shitty 21st century individualism pushes from industry and media have shifted things in that direction and almost nobody is happy doing it.
Thats like, your opinion man
Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
11–20 of 21 posts
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#12Too much "we" and "our" in these things. The author may speak only for himself (or herself).
The people who "choose" to spend time alone, do so because they have that choice available to them--it's a kind of "social privilege" or prerogative, available to those whose time and attention is in most demand.
It's reminiscent of an attitude that doesn't understand why "all those poor people just don't get normal jobs."
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Solitude and loneliness are not the same thing. Solitude is normally something you choose while loneliness is a product of circumstance. Some of us aggravate our loneliness by being difficult but it's still not the same as solitude.
> Solitude is normally something you choose while loneliness is a product of circumstance Suicide is also something people choose. Being killed is something that happens to them. If a person suicides to not be torced and then killed my the enemies. How is that different from choosing soltitude over loneliness?
You are mangling the word "choice" to fit your argument. Solitude is (for instance) me deciding to have a day or a week for myself to hike a trail alone. Loneliness is not having anybody that would do the hike with me if I invited them.
Or to your more visceral examples: Medically assisted suicide could barely be called a choice (there are hardly any options with less painful outcome), but a suicide to avoid being hurt by others against your will is definitely even less of a choice.
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#14No solitude is not healthy. Only our shitty 21st century individualism pushes from industry and media have shifted things in that direction and almost nobody is happy doing it.
People are trying to avoid the downside of social interaction. Try writing a politically incorrect comment here and see instant refutation followed by downvotes. People are not good at coming up with morally correct statements in a realtime situation, they don't want to be shunned by saying something unpopular. It's better to giveup on your own terms then be ostracized by a group. They avoid interactions.
I have never seen a problem with being politically incorrect (I certainly have never tried to be PC and have made plenty of "offensive-sounding" arguments). Just do not be inflammatory, make the most offensive statements if you wish, and stop complaining when you get "instant refutation". Be honest in your arguments, do not try to defend yourself behind cries of "political correctness".
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#15No solitude is not healthy. Only our shitty 21st century individualism pushes from industry and media have shifted things in that direction and almost nobody is happy doing it.
There's more than one kind of solitude, for me at least.
There's the kind when I'm absorbed in a book. Far from feeling alone, I feel get caught up in the story and sort of feel like a participant in an imaginary world. It doesn't feel like solitude at all.
Then there's the kind when I'm "in the zone" working on something. I loose track of time, people, and surroundings and when I finally figure it out I feel really good.
The rest of the time I'm just alone and lonely, and that's a bad thing.
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#16No solitude is not healthy. Only our shitty 21st century individualism pushes from industry and media have shifted things in that direction and almost nobody is happy doing it.
Hermits and recluses are not a 21st century media invention.
Whatever the reason, spirituality, philosophy, art, to name a few, people have decided to live alone since at least recorded history...
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why was this downvoted?
Because it is original, thought provoking, and goes against the mainstream discourse. Many people seem to use downvotes to indicate their disagreement with an idea than offend their political or moral sensibilities.
I agree with your praise of the comment, but I really don't think this sort of haughty dismissal is constructive. If you find yourself frustrated that people are taking umbrage with something, explore that - a defense peppered with insults does harm to the image of the object of your praise.
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because it is original, thought provoking, and goes against the mainstream discourse. Many people seem to use downvotes to indicate their disagreement with an idea than offend their political or moral sensibilities.
I agree with your praise of the comment, but I really don't think this sort of haughty dismissal is constructive. If you find yourself frustrated that people are taking umbrage with something, explore that - a defense peppered with insults does harm to the image of the object of your praise.
dissent is punished, whether carefully argumented, politely constructed to avoid hurting sensibilities, or blunt.
I have noticed a comnon pattern here that leads to high praises: on the negative aide: being dismissive of cryogeny, of crypto currency, of China ; on the positive side: being pro regulations, pro social programs, etc.
My exploration is that the arguments are unsound, and emotionally driven. I remember someone explaining without shame that their hatred of Huawei was because of Nortel problems in Canada (!!) It seems very weird to me.
I believe a lot of people here are in technology because it is trendy. They have limited passion on the subject. They have links to their websites on their profile, and seem to mostly seek networking, and parroting generally accepted things to avoid any objections or controversy.
I respect that difference. I am here to read thought provoking innovative content, and write interesting discussions with interesting people. I do not wish to lie about my sensitivies, but I take no umbrage to different opinions. Difference leads to innovation! I find that mostly in the "new" section.
Good enough for me.
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#19I recently read a nonfiction book called The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone [1], which talks about the interplay between solitude, loneliness, and creativity. The author talks about loneliness and solitude in her own life and she examines artists for whom these traits played a prominent role in their lives and their work. Many artists have written about the necessity of loneliness and solitude for…
> Like everything else, our lives need to have a balance between socialization and solitude.
Beautiful post, and I think that line encapsulates quite perfectly what any thinking person should keep in mind when it comes to discussions on solitude and socialization.
The difficulty of achieving that balance is that it differs person to person, and culture tends to compound the difficulty of achieving the perfect individual balance.
Imo, self-knowledge and the self-confidence it helps canalize offer the only navigable route through the overpowering currents of culture towards that island of balance.
Re: Solitude appears to have an image problem in Japan
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Solitude is normally something you choose while loneliness is a product of circumstance Suicide is also something people choose. Being killed is something that happens to them. If a person suicides to not be torced and then killed my the enemies. How is that different from choosing soltitude over loneliness?
You are mangling the word "choice" to fit your argument. Solitude is (for instance) me deciding to have a day or a week for myself to hike a trail alone. Loneliness is not having anybody that would do the hike with me if I invited them. Or to your more visceral examples: Medically assisted suicide could barely be called a choice (there are hardly any options with less painful outcome), but a suicide to avoid being hu…
> You are mangling the word "choice" to fit your argument. Solitude is (for instance) me deciding to have a day or a week for myself to hike a trail alone. Loneliness is not having anybody that would do the hike with me if I invited them.
This is not how it works in the real world.
Consumers are blasted with manipulative ad but still they've a choice, it's no more different than a suicide.