When the noises of crowd recedes into the background, we often feel an initial twinge of uneasiness—a sense of disorientation, followed by a heart-sinking loneliness. As social animals, we spend most of our time within a group, so when circumstances force us into solitude, we are at a loss of what to think and what to do. It is in these awkward moments, however,that great understandings tend to come to us.
When we are alone, receiving neither humanly stimuli nor feedback, we are more inclined to take our own initiative and apply our mind in deep thought, which is the only way that real wisdom can be gained. As the great military strategist Zhu’ge Liang once admonished, “Only through tranquility will one obtain a deep and wide perspective on all matters.” Isolation releases our mind from the claws of conventional views, as we no longer have to fit in the group or be compelled to assent and comply at every turn. Loneliness propels the true voice of self into the foreground, allowing us to cast a critical eye over common follies and received truisms. We begin to look directly into our mind and question the facile stances assumed so easily before. This honesty enabled us to gain wider perspectives and deeper insights. To be left on our own also lends us freedom and courage to challenge the dominant opinions of the day, because however timid or diffident we may be, no one will be able to snub or distract us then.
Loneliness dispels the cloud of earthly worries and primes us better for the journey to wisdom. It grants us the precious moment of introspection, clear thinking, and deep understanding. We may get knowledge points by rote learning and repeating what we’ve been told, but it is only by silent meditation that we enjoy true wisdom.
