Please discuss your thoughts on which you prefer and which you believe to be more beneficial to you at this stage in your life and other stages of your life. Which you feel more inclined towards, and which you would like more of. How you would go about getting more of one or the other.

Solitude. I love being alone and not getting distracted by others. And it keeps my mind calm to not be constantly in the presence of somebody else.

 

And what about you?

Solitude. I love being alone and not getting distracted by others. And it keeps my mind calm to not be constantly in the presence of somebody else.

 

And what about you?

 

In experiencing this solitude do you fill the space more with the creations and ideas of others, or do you wrestle with your own internal thoughts?

 

I very much lean towards solidarity, and my time alone is often at its most productive when I am taking in what the rest of the world has to offer. Obviously I then go on to interpret this into my own model of preconceptions (I'm certainly no blank slate), but generally I thrive in listening and meeting up with others.

 

A total absence of solitude is not something I would want though, of course.

In experiencing this solitude do you fill the space more with the creations and ideas of others, or do you wrestle with your own internal thoughts?

It often tends to the latter. Although it changes when I discover something interesting made by someone and that something keeps me occupied for a time. So it's constantly a rotation of internal thoughts and influence of the outside.

I very much lean towards solidarity, and my time alone is often at its most productive when I am taking in what the rest of the world has to offer. Obviously I then go on to interpret this into my own model of preconceptions (I'm certainly no blank slate), but generally I thrive in listening and meeting up with others.

 

A total absence of solitude is not something I would want though, of course.

I gather most things I want to know over the internet, or any other informative medium. Of course these information are provided by people, but I never truly face them, only at rare times when I really don't get what I want to know over the media.

It often tends to the latter. Although it changes when I discover something interesting made by someone and that something keeps me occupied for a time. So it's constantly a rotation of internal thoughts and influence of the outside.

 

I gather most things I want to know over the internet, or any other informative medium. Of course these information are provided by people, but I never truly face them, only at rare times when I really don't get what I want to know over the media.

 

Do they tend to be things simply to pass the time, like games or entertainment, or do they tend to be concepts or thought provoking articles that can provide changes in your outlook?

 

Obviously both of these possibilities can be have positive and negative outcomes. Games can improve your problem solving abilities, entertainment can shape you culturally in a positive manner, and outlooks can be changed for the worse.

Do they tend to be things simply to pass the time, like games or entertainment, or do they tend to be concepts or thought provoking articles that can provide changes in your outlook?

 

Obviously both of these possibilities can be have positive and negative outcomes. Games can improve your problem solving abilities, entertainment can shape you culturally in a positive manner, and outlooks can be changed for the worse.

It's more art and illustration related, and ways of learning how to do that better. Gaming is nice too, but that is just entertainment for me. More interesting is the whole concept of the game, the soundtrack, the design, the people and ideas behind it. And if it is a very good game, what makes it that good.

 

Everything has its pros and cons, you have to realise what they are and how they work before they can influence you in a bad way.

Me:

 

 

Most of the time I don't mind being alone, I often love it. But not all the time.

Me:

 

 

Most of the time I don't mind being alone, I often love it. But not all the time.

Ha that picture if a perfect example of myself during dark winter times.

Overall I'm gonna go with solidarity, because it's essential, solitude isn't. I think for quite a few years I didn't have enough solitude, every second was spent in the company of others, and as a result I didn't feel like I had enough privacy, so now I do appreciate it but it would be pointless being alone ALL the time as you've got nobody to share things with.

 

I'm pretty much as comfortable being alone as I am with people, and fairly content with either, but if I had to choose it would be solidarity.

I want more solidarity and I need it or I start to lose it being stuck inside for a week with no one really to talk to even if it's just being at work with people and it keeps my mind occupied. Solitude is nice like when I can just go for a long walk and think deeply about stuff, it's a lot easier for me to be alone but it can be unhealthy for me for too long.

Me:

 

 

Most of the time I don't mind being alone, I often love it. But not all the time.

 

THIS. I'm the poster child of introversion. I often feel the need to be alone. It's not like I can't be around people; I can. I just don't function nearly as well while they're around, depending on who the people are and how many of them there are. Sometimes being around a lot of people makes me feel quite uncomfortable, especially if I don't know them on a certain level. I'm a person who can't really open up to people until after I get to know them and see that they don't mind me in the way that I think they might. While I haven't been diagnosed by a professional, I'm pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder of some sort. Dealing with people can be difficult for me sometimes. It's why I appreciate things like the Internet: I can talk to people about things while not really having to face them and be afraid of what they're going to think of me.

 

Wow, that went more personal than I intended. Sorry about that.

Overall I'm gonna go with solidarity, because it's essential, solitude isn't. I think for quite a few years I didn't have enough solitude, every second was spent in the company of others, and as a result I didn't feel like I had enough privacy, so now I do appreciate it but it would be pointless being alone ALL the time as you've got nobody to share things with.

 

I'm pretty much as comfortable being alone as I am with people, and fairly content with either, but if I had to choose it would be solidarity.

 

I agree with a lot of this.

 

Solidarity is essential and I find it weird when people crave absolute solitude, Christopher McCandless style. There is much to learn from solitude but the very evolution of humans has depended on solidarity. It's what has lead to our increased intelligence, what has brought about all culture, what has led to established technique that can help us achieve solitude, safely.

 

I watched a BBC Horizon last week (not sure when it was from but it was this summer) about what makes us human and part of it was looking at pregnancy and the gestation period and the fact that when we are born we are totally incapable of looking after ourselves. In the rest of nature (to varying degrees), the animals don't have the same level of helplessness and have greater levels of self reliance. Some can walk on their first days, others can fucking fly. They are all about instinct for survival, and it is within them biologically (like we have with breathing and other basic functions that we can do from the very beginning).

 

Anyway, the fact we are born early means that we need to be looked after in order to survive and keep the species going. This means that we are raised on both instinct and also things that we are taught. We are taught things, and these things get passed down from generations and generations previous. Techniques, cultures, concepts, everything. We take them on board because we have that connection with our parents, which spreads out to society, further increasing the amount of information we can take in.

 

Without solidarity we would be a completely different species.

THIS. I'm the poster child of introversion. I often feel the need to be alone. It's not like I can't be around people; I can. I just don't function nearly as well while they're around, depending on who the people are and how many of them there are. Sometimes being around a lot of people makes me feel quite uncomfortable, especially if I don't know them on a certain level. I'm a person who can't really open up to people until after I get to know them and see that they don't mind me in the way that I think they might. While I haven't been diagnosed by a professional, I'm pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder of some sort. Dealing with people can be difficult for me sometimes. It's why I appreciate things like the Internet: I can talk to people about things while not really having to face them and be afraid of what they're going to think of me.

 

Wow, that went more personal than I intended. Sorry about that.

i swear i have an anxiety disorder as well.

THIS. I'm the poster child of introversion. I often feel the need to be alone. It's not like I can't be around people; I can. I just don't function nearly as well while they're around, depending on who the people are and how many of them there are. Sometimes being around a lot of people makes me feel quite uncomfortable, especially if I don't know them on a certain level. I'm a person who can't really open up to people until after I get to know them and see that they don't mind me in the way that I think they might. While I haven't been diagnosed by a professional, I'm pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder of some sort. Dealing with people can be difficult for me sometimes. It's why I appreciate things like the Internet: I can talk to people about things while not really having to face them and be afraid of what they're going to think of me.

 

Wow, that went more personal than I intended. Sorry about that.

 

Don't apologise. People can learn a lot from each other with openness, and this is your ideal place to share it given face to face could be harder. If anything, it's a good thing.

 

Things like anxiety are not very well understood by the general public, passed nerves for exams and hating work, etc. The internet is proving a crucial platform for these kind of things to be heard, hopefully leading to greater empathy and an adjustment to help these people and find a way in which to make things easier for them.

You're both great people in my eyes.

 

You've both come out with interesting posts on serious topics and you're not filled with hate. You both have a good level of self awareness too. Nothing to dislike in either of you.

Don't apologise. People can learn a lot from each other with openness, and this is your ideal place to share it given face to face could be harder. If anything, it's a good thing.

 

Things like anxiety are not very well understood by the general public, passed nerves for exams and hating work, etc. The internet is proving a crucial platform for these kind of things to be heard, hopefully leading to greater empathy and an adjustment to help these people and find a way in which to make things easier for them.

 

Face-to-face interaction is difficult for me, particularly if it's a serious topic. I have terrible eye contact, and I tend to stammer. This may become obvious with my upcoming CPing interview (particularly the stammering). Thankfully, with the Internet, I can think of what I want to say and how to say it and edit it if I need to before I post something.

 

I agree with the sentiment that mental disorders (including anxiety) aren't very well understood within the general public. I get the feeling that some people think that if there's nothing physically wrong with you, you're fine, and mental disorders aren't really issues. I think that's such an awful attitude to have. You can't always control what goes on in your head and how you react to it. I don't intend on having panic attacks, and I certainly don't enjoy them, but they happen. It's a biological reaction to something that happens on the outside. I've tried controlling it. It doesn't work. People deserve to have the chance to live life as fully as possible without their own minds hindering them.

 

You're both great people in my eyes.

 

You've both come out with interesting posts on serious topics and you're not filled with hate. You both have a good level of self awareness too. Nothing to dislike in either of you.

 

Thanks, Greg. That really means a lot.

I'm someone who doesn't really talk that much, I don't do "pointless chit-chat".

 

I prefer being on my own for some things (I couldn't imagine going to the gym/pool with a friend, as it would be hard to try and match them).

Would you be interested in doing things that don't have a competitive edge?

It's more trying to keep up (or slow down) with someone on say the treadmill or bike.

 

The only person I'm competitive is, with myself, trying to always improve myself (being able to do bigger weights/go faster).

Ah, I see. I thought you meant you couldn't see yourself hanging out with people at the gym or playing pool, as they are the things most people do. Rather than you go to the gym but prefer to do it alone.

 

I prefer to go to the gym alone, too.

It's something I do on my own, at my own willingness, at my own speed.

 

Same with the pool. Allows troubles to flow out of my head when going up and down the pool, but I will say hello to the other swimmers (unlike some of the swimmers who zone right out and don't even say sorry when they crash into you)

I have just enough equipment at home to not really need the gym now, but I used to go all the time and was really sick of clashing schedules with other people I had planned to. I used to go whenever I got a free period of time during the day which could've been any time, and the handful of people who were interested in going would always say they didn't feel like it, or maybe later this evening etc. and then later that evening they didn't feel like it.

 

So I ended up going alone after a long time of this. /pointlessstorythanksforreading

Thought you meant playing pool.

 

Playing pool alone would be interesting, especially if you played against yourself. Richard Herring did that, made a podcast of it. Never listened but I like him so, er, yeah.

I have just enough equipment at home to not really need the gym now, but I used to go all the time and was really sick of clashing schedules with other people I had planned to. I used to go whenever I got a free period of time during the day which could've been any time, and the handful of people who were interested in going would always say they didn't feel like it, or maybe later this evening etc. and then later that evening they didn't feel like it.

 

So I ended up going alone after a long time of this. /pointlessstorythanksforreading

 

"I'm too tired tonight, maybe tomorrow".

Thought you meant playing pool.

 

Playing pool alone would be interesting, especially if you played against yourself. Richard Herring did that, made a podcast of it. Never listened but I like him so, er, yeah.

 

Quite a good comedian be Mr Herring.

 

I've played against myself, when doing mess bar cover, when the mess has been absolutely dead. Just to try and get some practise.