Strength of Solitude, Silence And Introversion Are The Keys!

By Zile Singh - Ambassador (Retd.)

Everyone is feeling the pinch of COVID-19.  People are lacking the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  “Man is a social animal” looks like an old saying buried deep in the front yard of this pandemic. In this situation of helplessness, when there is no imminent sign of a vaccine, some time tested formulas are “Solitude, Silence and Introversion.”  Because, “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.” - Pablo Picasso

In common parlance, Solitude, Silence, Introversion, Aloneness, Loneliness, Isolation are misunderstood as if they mean the same thing. But it is not. According to the dictionary, the meaning of Solitude, Silence, Introversion and Aloneness is a joy of being, a feeling of fullness and overflowing. It is a situation of ecstasy away from the outside world in the realms of one's inner most self.  Solitude, silence, introversion and aloneness are individual's own choices. In that situation no body else is required, you alone are enough. In spiritual sense it is called 'home-coming' or establishing yourself 'within'. It is like going to the very core of your being. On the other hand, Loneliness and Isolation mean anxious feeling, lack of communication with other beings, a feeling that something is missing, a pain, a depression, a need, and emptiness. It is a feeling of a barren island. These are the product of a confused and helpless mind of an individual. Thus, the difference is poles-apart, of positivism and negativism, of bliss and monotony. Solitude, introversion, silence and aloneness are inward orientation of our life. These are our hidden strengths. “Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up.” - Pearl Buck.

Solitude and silence are not to abandon the worldly affairs and proceed to the forest. It is not to cut your relationship with the society. It is drowning into your inner being and living consciously moment to moment attending to your daily chores without too much of outside chattering. Aloneness or solitude is our basic nature. Before taking birth everyone was in solitude and silence. Life starts and ends with aloneness. The steps towards solitude, silence etc. is quite fearful. Initially, to be in solitude is difficult because the moment you are alone your identity starts melting. One experiences the feeling of darkness and fear of the unknown. But once you understand the final outcome then all the fears including the fear of death diminishes. In solitude you know yourself in total clarity. All you have known about yourself and the outside world becomes unreal and what is real starts building up. But, once you have tasted this nectar, it is like moving into your own world to become revitalized, to be rejuvenated and refreshed. In a stage of solitude and aloneness, one needs a strong will power and perseverance. “The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude and silence.” - Aldous Huxley.

In the absence of Solitude, it is not possible to judge ourselves as to how much we have enslaved ourselves to others points of view. We exhaust ourselves in trying to become somebody in their eyes. Without being in silence and solitude we play a second fiddle to the crowd. The outside worldly affairs have engulfed us so much that we have lost our inner voice.

“What is worth more: a crowd of thousands?

Or your own genuine solitude?

Power over an entire kingdom – or freedom?

A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable

than anything else that could ever be given to you”. ---- Rumi

Coming to Silence, “Silence is the most powerful scream.” The opposite of Silence is Speech. However, both the words have a significant role in life. That is why; “Speech is silver and Silence is golden” has become a household idiom. It is however very difficult to make a comparison and weigh Listen and Silent. Both comprise the same six letters of English language. When we are silent, we have a reason to be silent, because at the same time something is happening in our inner conscience which is creative and useful. The immediate outburst can cause unimaginable negative effects. Silence is a stepping stone for solitude because silence cools down the fire of anger.

Power to be introverted has its own significant role in everyone's life. First of all it requires you to shut down your thinking and then dip into your inner silent chamber. Introverts prefer calm, quiet and slow pace in life whereas extroverts need higher levels of stimulation to feel good. Introversion should not be compared with shyness. There is a notion that introverts cannot become good leaders or business men. In history there are examples of Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks and Douglas Conant who were basically introverts. Introverts are creative because they are comfortable in their solitude, silence and aloneness. They like solitude which is a basic requirement to be creative and successful. Necessarily, it is not that introverts are anti-social and lack relationships. They also have a friendly circle and discharge their duties as householders. “Introverts recharge their batteries by being alone “- Susan Cain.

Zile Singh is a well respected Columnist, Writer, a Vipassana Meditator and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights.  He can be reached at zsnirwal@yahoo.ca