Sometimes, we like to be alone, even if we're the bubbliest most sociable people in the world, solitude becomes a necessity at times, it's a self cleansing system of sorts, one's mind recharges with deep thought, and deep thought is only reached in solitude, it's quite amazing how a mental action is best executed with a physical action.
You reach great decisions in solitude, if you think a little bit about your own greatest decisions you'll be surprised to find that those most probably were taken after a day or night of solitude. Your senses are fine tuned to your own thoughts when you give all your attention to you, even if the decision is to seize your solitude; proposing to someone or accepting a proposal.
You're at your most transparent state when in solitude, so any mental attempt to play a game of strategy is void of its purpose, all the roles you play around people are removed from their element like you remove a coat when you reach home; the intellect, the considerate..etc, all the social "masks" are taken off, and you're left with the real you, the one only you know, with all your flaws, all your vices, the ones you always make sure to hide when not alone.
Its funny how when you're in love, you tend to want to be alone, away from people, and with one thought, about one person. Solitude becomes your destination, you intentionally go through that mental trip, and when you reach that certain "Nirvana", you willfully decide that your solitude is a pilgrimage for your love, a proof of your devotion, it's not a coincidence that we have only one heart and one mind! Longing too is an act of solitude, when you miss, your surroundings seize, you can't feel the people around, your soul is somewhere else, with someone else.
lovers don't finally meet somewhere, they're in each other all along.
I agree with you. Being alone is a continuous process of self-healing from the troubles around us.I always try to spend at least 30 minutes a day alone to cleanse my mind and my soul.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, the worse thing someone can do to them selves is not to have some solitude, because that will lead them to be strangers from themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you both :)
ReplyDeleteAnd if we think about the greatest philosophers, poets, and scholars, especially the ones in Islamic history, all of them had extended periods of isolation--sometimes forced--and solitude. Great thought does not come from multitasking in chaos, but rather from the chance to truly contemplate, alone.
ReplyDeleteThat's absolutely true ummfarouq, not only that, but all the stories of prophets involve Solitude at some point, from Moses when he left his people to receive the commandments, through Zakarias when he was ordered to "fast" from speaking to people for three nights when he was promised of John, Mary was ordered the same when she received Gabriel, and Muhammad in the cave of Hira' before receiving Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteSolitude comes after a permission/order. This permission can manifest in a great urge to be alone, or simply from being the only thing one can do when everything around looks like taking a break from communicating with you... when the world stops seeing you ("sometimes forced" as ummfarouq suggests).
ReplyDeleteTo achieve solitude while being with people, this seems to start with lengthy isolation periods that pave the way for the day when one is sitting among people, looking like he/she is "with" them, while inner eyes being fixated on Allah.
People are made of a7wal (states), usually they suck each other into their dramas... into gossip, into misery, kufr, foul play, into waste of time & soul... That's why Prophet Mohammad advised we chose whom we befriend, so their state will take us Places other than those linked to lower self & ego.
If this whole world took 3 days of solitude would it be where it is today? Na. It is rather drowned in dramas of every kind, dramas that steep us into chaos. People switch on their TVs all day long so they won't hear the voice of emptiness inside, so they would stay "busy" with voices that shun their own.