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| "The Island of Solitude" by Achraf Baznani (b. 1979) |
Consider the Thoreau's thoughts on the opportunities that solitude provides. How often and under what circumstances do you experience that kind of solitude?
What gets in the way of this for us too often today--something that is even referenced in the chapter?
Do you think silence and solitude are underutilized or overrated?
I don't use social media like snapchat or instagram because I've never really been interested in talking to that many people before. Isolation is easy to come by for me, and just like everything there is a limit to how much I can take. There is also a limit to how much time I can spend with family and friends making meaningful connections before I need to 'recharge my social battery'.
ReplyDelete-Byron
When it comes to Thoreau's perspective of solitude, I do not experience it very often. Social media is of course one example that is constantly mentioned throughout this entire book. Nora at one point describes her Instagram feed, as she reads it, as lacking any sort of depth and she can tell she's unhappy in this life. It had that sort of fake happiness a lot of us use when we don't want others to know we're sad. I think a lot of people project this idea of being perfect on social media, and use it instead of actually interacting with others. We isolate ourselves, while still talking to others on social media because there is no substance to the conversation. It's overused in many aspects of our daily lives today.
ReplyDeleteI found Thoreau’s perspective of solitude to be accurate from my few experiences with true solitude. Social media is a major reason that feelings of solitude are becoming less and less. Social media takes away the face to face interactions that we as humans crave. It leads to a large number of meaningless conversations that almost isolate us more rather than bring humans together. Social media also provides humans the opportunity to portray their lives exactly how they want, which allows people to avoid actually getting to know a person and just basing opinions strictly off of social media. I believe silence and solitude are underutilized and can help a person become successful.
ReplyDelete- Zachary Idlett
I agree that social media can make people not value face-to-face relationships as much. - Matt Pittman
DeleteI definitely don't think I experience that kind of solitude enough. Sometimes I will go outside to journal but genuinely just being in thought in nature doesn't happen often. Our phones are such a terrible distraction as is but I agree with Ash on the thought that social media is not healthy for us or our brains. Solitude in my opinion is very much underrated especially at our age.
ReplyDeleteI experience that kind of solitude briefly nowadays, and I enjoy it. When overloaded by the pressures of outside forces, or even internal forces sometimes, I like to distance myself for some time to think. It helps me collect my thoughts because I am no longer influenced by the other people around me, and I can be my true self. One issue with trying to reach this safe space is when people think that everybody needs people all of the time. I feel like people need a little solitude every once in a while, to get back in tune with themselves. Not only is it underutilized, but I also find solitude fleeting more and more from my life. It is hard not to put up a front on social media and strew from trying to be myself to trying to be like everyone else, and this causes me to lose my solitude.
ReplyDelete-Anna Stone
DeleteI think that silence and solitude are underutilized. Because of social media and the internet, it has become a lot easier to socialize with people, to the point where most people spend hours everyday on social media. I feel like people get their social needs from social media and do not have as many relationships in the real world because of it. Solitude allows for us to improve ourselves and learn more about ourselves so that we can create stronger relationships. - Matt Pittman
ReplyDeleteWhen Nora is placed on watch while in the arctic, she is given a chance to experience solitude through a peaceful connection with nature, similar to what Thoreau depicts in his works. This is the first time that we see Nora experience solitude outside of the self-isolation she exhibits in the rest of the book. It is those moments of solace that make Nora realize she still wants to live. Many don’t experience the same powerful effect that solitude had on Nora, but that does not discount the positive outcomes that come from taking the time to meditate and connect with the outside world. In a world where heavy emphasis is placed on social interaction and an oversaturation of information, solitude is underutilized. I believe that even if you set aside a few minutes a day to get away from your busy day and ground yourself, those few moments of peace can help you from getting trapped in your head.
ReplyDelete-Bailey Howe
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