solitude or the masses?

normally i'd just post these quotes to the wall, but i think this one was begging for its own discussion....

“Solitude is strength; to depend on the presence of the crowd is weakness. The man who needs a mob to nerve him is much more alone than he imagines.”

― Paul Brunton

ok, i would agree that solitude is strength, i'm always at my best when left alone....i don't have to worry about others getting in the way or slowing me down....however humans are a social animal and need companionship at some point, even if it's not constant...and there is a certain strength that can be drawn from being around others. i find that knowing when to draw on that strength and when to rely solely on your own strength is very beneficial....why limit your resources...

I agree. Its best if you are self reliant. Just because you can do it alone doesn't mean you always should. Fellowship is very beneficial.

My greatest strength is my ability to be a hermit, I've lived in the mountains alone for months on end with only 1-2 visitors every few weeks and have lived there with only a few people over the course of two years or so. I can take care of myself and am able to enjoy my time being productive.

It's also my greatest weakness. Often it is much better to have other people around for a synergistic effect in near everything from working to just living situations like cooking, cleaning, getting supplies, communication, etc. When I have lived alone for a long time in the wilderness it takes time to adjust going back to the city's sensory overload. When living in the city with all of it's sensations it can be difficult to adjust back to solitude for a lot of people, I long for that peaceful solitude actually. Some of my happiest times were when it was just me and my dog out there.

Do I dare quote Star Wars?

Luke: Your over-confidence is your weakness.
Emperor: Your faith in your friends is yours.

While self-reliance can be a strength, not to mention liberating, people need people. We're just built that way. Of course, not everyone is the same, so there's exceptions to that rule.

Dependance on others is a terrible idea..I find while I might like company being self reliant is best.
Sometimes people bring out the worse in me. I dont NEED people, I like to be around them occasionally.

elizabeth wrote: I dont NEED people.

This may be a technicality, but everyone NEEDs people. I mean, can you build your own house, grow or hunt your own food? Treat your own illnesses? Start a fire with material found in nature?

Everyone relies on the things that other people make or do. Aside from those who actually can do all those things I mentioned above. But then, if you can, you wouldn't be reading this right now, would you?

Needing the services of others is a lot different than needing them as individuals.
And I can start a fire, protect myself, skin clean, butcher and cook..
Need work on the others
I may need to pay for services, difference is how I was looking at need.

I wonder... if sollitude is so great, why participate in an online forum? :laugh:

We are all interdependent, we need each other. Can we survive in sollitude? Sure, especially if you've been wise enough to learn to be self-reliant. But surviving isn't thriving, and while it is important to have time with yourself, it is equally as important to have time with others.

The question in the topic title itself is a false dichotomy. You never have to choose between sollitude 24/7 or the massess 24/7. Life involves a balance of both.

that is why i think it's good to be able to do both...i prefer solitude, most of the time it's just me and my 2 dogs....and when people come around i long for them to leave...but there is still that part of me that enjoys some social interaction...i don't need it, but i find it to occasionally be enjoyable, and when it ceases to be so i return to my solitude.

I believe that you shouldn't rely on others for strength, but to count other as an addition to you own powers.