What is solitude? Is it good? Why?

I think solitude can happen anywhere depending on the person’s mental state – in a positive sense, those seeking solitude may find it in remote places. Is it good? Sure, it’s good, sometimes but I don’t think I’ll ever find a place where I can let go of all my thoughts and anxieties.

Your answer to the previous got me thinking, too. To me, solitude means I can do whatever I choose to do without any distractions, interruptions or directions from an outside force (person, device, etc). So your point about how you can be online and be in solitude was quite true to me. I can find solitude at my house, at work (rare, but it happens) or on a hike – which often can be interrupted by others, so it’s not pure solitude, either.

I value solitude highly for different reasons. At work, for example, I get off-track easily when someone or something distracts me. In my personal life, I find it restorative because I work in the public eye but am a very private person, so solitude allows me to shed the gregarious PR persona and be my grouchy, flatulent, boring self.

edit: clarifies who made the point in the other thread

First; I define solitude as the state of having no interaction with other humans, being alone for that because even if I’m not directly interacting when other humans are around, I am aware of them, and interacting on a subconsious level.
Second: I value it very highly, and seek it out often because
Third: Thinking my own thoughts, sorting out events and putting them into perspective in ways I can only do alone are very important to me, not having to constantly process input from others allows me to be more creative and rational.

I love my time with others, whether in person, on the phone or the internet, but I really treasure my solitude.

Solitude, for me, is being disconnected from the people around me. I can be in a room with other people, but working on my computer or reading a book, and consider that solitude. In fact, even when I’m sending an email, or answering questions on Fluther, I can be solitary, as long as I’m not talking to, listening to or even registering what other people around me are doing or saying.

So for me, solitude is purely mental – in fact, physical solitude really stresses me out sometimes, if I’m completely alone for too long. I value solitude very much – one of the most relaxing things for me is just zoning out and reading a book or surfing the net, with my dogs or with my boyfriend.

As in the game Solitaire it’s being alone. If you’re on the computer with the tv blaring and music playing on something , but no one is with you ,you are in blissful solitude. Is it good? It is for me! But it doesn’t occur near often enough. Some people can’t stand to be alone. They have to go somewhere if left home alone. Not me.

Me down by Lake Chipican on a Fall day (by my lonesome). Quiet.

(Slightly quirky answer coming up…)

I thought I would break the word up and look at it in two parts… I realise my results are not accurate for how the word is derived, but I liked what I found:

Soli – plural for solo: (Mus.) A tune, air, strain, or a whole piece, played by a single person on an instrument, or sung by a single voice. [1913 Webster]

Tude – a suffix meaning state of and condition of

As a musician, I like the idea of being in a condition of singing songs or playing my instrument, and kinda see life like that….

So, linking that into a more conventional meaning of the word Solitude, I think – for me – Solitude is those times where I have the time and space to listen to the song I’m singing.

I can be alone with my thoughts anywhere,but being somewhere with no one around is wonderful.I get that on my walks in the woods,especially in the winter.I love it as it gives me time to think things through or sometimes just “be”.:)
I place a high value on solitude.

Solitude is being totally with ones thoughts and actions. It means being away from the hum drum of daily life where thought can flow and teach. Being with others on the computer or being around you to me is not solitude. Is it good for me? Yes I can find my solutions to everyday problems and come to a very understandable meaning to things that I thought of during the day. It allows me to clear my soul and reset my life to again begin to relate to everything around me. The meditation without interruption is priceless to me and has taught me so many things in life. When one changes the state of your mind and enters Zen you can find answers that one cannot find anywhere else. I enjoy my solitude and look forward to it daily.

For me solitude is being totally alone. Hearing your own heart beat. Free to have uninterrupted thoughts. Peace, freedom, relaxation. It is hard to find and every minute savored.

I live with my husband, mother, brother and three teenage sons. When no one else is home and I can walk around naked (if I am in the mood) that is solitude. For me, a few hours is enough solitude. With solitude, I prefer to have contact with no one, no email, no phone, no contact. I like to be able to be alone with my thoughts or with God. There are of course hermits who desire to not see people for days, weeks or months. I think the time span is variable.

I completely value solitude as it is the only way for me to gather my thoughts. I am not sure I would value long stints of solitude as I have so much going on and things to do I really can’t afford a lot of time off the grid. I love to meditate and do so at least once a week after everyone has gone to bed and I know the phone won’t ring. That to me is a great form of solitude and another really great one is time alone out in nature preferably in a nice tall stand of trees or down by a river bend.

depends on your personality, I’m sure that a histrionic or dependent person would find it terrifying.

I tend to separate Solitude and Isolation. For me solitude is forgetting the absence of others and being at peace (that may mean feeling fulfilled, productive, “happy,” or any number of things) with your single existence while Isolation is perceiving the presence of others, but feeling incapable of interaction.

It can be both physical and mental, but I think it’s mostly a state of mind.
You can be surrounded by people, or out of sight, and in either solitude or isolation.
It’s similar to the diference between being alone and lonely, regardless of context.

In that sense, solitude is positively connoted, and isolation negatively.

Solitude is good because ultimately, you’re the only one that can fully understand your own experience and existence. If you’re not okay within yourself, you can’t ever be fully happy with existing in the presence of others.

It’s sort of the end goal of “not caring what others think of you.”

Solitude refreshes the soul. In solitude you can understand yourself and feel at peace.

I need it so that my mind can rest. But to me it is not necessarily being alone, I can feel it when I am with my mate and we are companionably silent and also with my dogs. Actually my mind seems to be most quiet and at peace in those two circumstances.

I can have a great deal of peace holding my grand baby, but that is not solitude because I am not alone. That is a wonderful, peaceful, physical state. Solitude is also a physical state of being alone, not lonely, but just alone with yourself.

Solitude is vital to me. I spend 95% of my personal time alone. Dealing with people at work is enough for me.

After reading @RANGIEBABY ‘s answer I checked the definition. It does mean to be alone and yet for me it means being alone with with my mate and my dogs or all by myself. Either way is fine with me and takes care of my need.

@rooeytoo Thank you, I was beginning to think I was looking at a book written by a bunch of foolish old men. Just kidding @Simone_De_Beauvoir :)