The Beauty of Solitude

In an age where we’re more connected than ever, paradoxically, many of us find ourselves feeling more disconnected from ourselves in the process.

One of the root reasons why, I believe, is because of a lack of solitude.

Notifications, news, and nonstop data makes it hard for us to have the time to wind down and find peace in our day-to-day life.

Now, more than ever, it is important to integrate times of solitude into our routines.

We need times where we have literally nothing to do and zero interruptions.

I’m talking no phone, no work, no other people even. Just you, alone with your thoughts.

These kind of times are critical. They help you find out who you truly are and hope you develop truly deep thoughts that are your own.

It is often in these times of solitude where we grow the most.

One of the problems with the constant breaking news cycle is that people read things and pick up opinions through others without meditating on the thoughts themselves. There needs to be a time where you are alone—without this flow of information—where you can consciously and objectively review and think about the big questions facing you.

It is during this time that you are able to develop your true thoughts.

I believe this is one reason why there are so many normies. There are more than there used to be because there are a lot fewer times of solitude than there used to be.

The normies just hear and read what they are supposed to believe. They take no time to think of it themselves. Consume all; produce none.

But many dissidents and conservatives fall into a similar trap. We often get sucked into the alternative news and the constant flow of data, so that we don’t take time to formulate our own thoughts on hot topics of the day. We just regurgitate what we’ve heard from trusted dissident sources.

This is not good. We need to make sure we are taking time to spend with ourselves. To provide a balance to other dissidents, so we too do not become another hivemind.

Part of this process needs to be completely alone. Otherwise, we are at risk of external persuasion.

There are many ways to go about picking a time of solitude for yourself. Some people like to add it in completely new, whereas others like to integrate it with something they already do consistently.

For example, sometimes I like to go on hikes and just spend the time there with no podcast, music, or anything else. Just my thoughts and the journey ahead.

Another way I sometimes go is with a vice of your own choosing. Sometimes I’ll smoke a cigar alone and put the phone away in the process. But I know some other people that like to have a drink instead, but the solitude component remains the same.

My wife does it while gardening. She likes to just get into garden mode and be deep in her thoughts at the same time.

However, you make it work is up to you. There has to be somewhere in your weekly routine where you can fit it in. All I ask is that you try it.

For the Christian, part of this solitude practice can also morph/become longform prayer. For instance, on Thursdays I have an extended period of time to hit the weights. I usually spend at least an hour and a half on Thursday for the gym session of the week. I work out at home, so during this time I have nothing on tech-wise and no interruptions. Instead of wasting time consuming more content, I spend that entire time in prayer. Talking to God, praising the past week, making requests, and yielding to the thoughts that arise. These longform prayers are only once a week but have revolutionized my walk with God. And I wouldn’t have found it without setting aside time for solitude.

Because of how fast pace our modern day is, most of us have lost track of the importance of catching up with ourselves and improving the inner relationship within ourselves and with God. I believe that is a mistake. It is something that we all need to work on. Myself included.

So if you are not, I encourage you to seek a time of solitude. Even if you can only get away for short 10, 20, 30-minute session at a time once every while.

I firmly believe you will be astounded at how strongly these times of solitude benefit you.