“If you can privilege your own mind, your guiding spirit and your reverence for its powers, that should keep you clear of dramatics, of wailing and gnashing of teeth. You won’t need solitude—or a cast of thousands, either.”
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
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“Solitude is nearly a misnomer. To me, being alone means togetherness—the re-coming-together of me and nature, of me and being; the reuniting of me with all. For me, solitude especially means putting the parts of me back together—the unifying of myself whereby I see once again that the little things are little and the big things are big. I believe that solitude is a profound and needed act of self-love and self-appreciation.”
– Hugh Prather, Notes to Myself
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My habits of mind are centered on the personal: the survival and endurance of the self.
Whatever adversity I have faced in life, I’ve naturally cultivated a solution in solitude.
I’ve never felt much part of a community, nor sought recognition or solace within a group.
I think this derives from an embedded survival instinct of withdrawal.
This can also lead me to neglect responsibilities.
But through this practice of retreat, I endure.
It has served me quite well.
I’m here. Reasonably fit and healthy. Still thinking, writing, breathing, and curious.
I avoid burdening others with my troubles.
So I burden the page instead.
Conversations With Quotations 