Comments on: The American Psyche: Tipping Toward Solitude? http://silouanthompson.net/2009/11/the-american-psyche-tipping-toward-solitude/ silouanthompson.net Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Helen http://silouanthompson.net/2009/11/the-american-psyche-tipping-toward-solitude/comment-page-1/#comment-6219 Helen Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:43:30 +0000 http://silouanthompson.net/?p=940#comment-6219 What a relief to find this!!!! Being an only child, aloneness was normal. Lonely? Never!!! And surprisingly, in later life, other onlies found me. There must be a certain electrical charge in us...Frankly, it's been hard to find others who like the same things I do, the culture, the life experiences, literature, animal wellbeing, etc., and Sean's comments above bring such comfort. At my last job, I was so marginalized for being single. And now, in my church life, married women revile me - threat to take their husbands away? Wish they were single? It goes on and on. Being single, alone, there is always something to take my time. Seen as selfish to many, by reading this post and others it is truly that they don't have a clue what solitude is. How can one listen to themselves, their inner spirit, their inner voice when there is so much noise around them, in others that are only taking up their precious time? Thanks for this, the first time I've been validated for a life-long way of life, a most fulfilling and productive one... What a relief to find this!!!! Being an only child, aloneness was normal. Lonely? Never!!! And surprisingly, in later life, other onlies found me. There must be a certain electrical charge in us…Frankly, it’s been hard to find others who like the same things I do, the culture, the life experiences, literature, animal wellbeing, etc., and Sean’s comments above bring such comfort. At my last job, I was so marginalized for being single. And now, in my church life, married women revile me – threat to take their husbands away? Wish they were single? It goes on and on. Being single, alone, there is always something to take my time. Seen as selfish to many, by reading this post and others it is truly that they don’t have a clue what solitude is. How can one listen to themselves, their inner spirit, their inner voice when there is so much noise around them, in others that are only taking up their precious time? Thanks for this, the first time I’ve been validated for a life-long way of life, a most fulfilling and productive one…

]]> By: Sean+ Lotz http://silouanthompson.net/2009/11/the-american-psyche-tipping-toward-solitude/comment-page-1/#comment-6160 Sean+ Lotz Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:38:45 +0000 http://silouanthompson.net/?p=940#comment-6160 <blockquote>Instead, Rufus reminds us, loners “know better than anyone how to entertain themselves…They have a knack for imagination, concentration, inner discipline, and invention.”</blockquote> In other words, introverts are just better adapted to living in the real world. After I learned to stop being miffed at people asking me if I'm "OK," I figured out the situation was really rather comical. After all, I, an introvert, am capable of being social -- not to the same extent as my extrovert friends and acquaintances, but to some degree. They (at least the more extremely extroverted ones), however, are not able to do what I can do -- amuse myself, enjoy my own company, experience the quiet and solitude as beautiful and not terrifying. I know people who quite literally look upon aloneness with dread, sometimes to the point of experiencing great anxiety while driving home alone from work for ten minutes. My experience is that introverts tend to be a bit more adept and sophisticated than extroverts. Ha! I said it: "I'm better than you are! Neener-neener." That felt good. It's probably not entirely true, but after a lifetime of hearing the opposite, it felt good.

Instead, Rufus reminds us, loners “know better than anyone how to entertain themselves…They have a knack for imagination, concentration, inner discipline, and invention.”

In other words, introverts are just better adapted to living in the real world.

After I learned to stop being miffed at people asking me if I’m “OK,” I figured out the situation was really rather comical. After all, I, an introvert, am capable of being social — not to the same extent as my extrovert friends and acquaintances, but to some degree. They (at least the more extremely extroverted ones), however, are not able to do what I can do — amuse myself, enjoy my own company, experience the quiet and solitude as beautiful and not terrifying. I know people who quite literally look upon aloneness with dread, sometimes to the point of experiencing great anxiety while driving home alone from work for ten minutes. My experience is that introverts tend to be a bit more adept and sophisticated than extroverts.

Ha! I said it: “I’m better than you are! Neener-neener.” That felt good. It’s probably not entirely true, but after a lifetime of hearing the opposite, it felt good.

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