Solitude

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Solitude, also known as social withdrawal, is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think, or rest without disturbance. It may be desired for the sake of privacy. Long-term solitude may stem from soured relationships, loss of loved ones, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders such as circadian rhythm sleep disorder, or circumstances of employment or situation.

Contents

A distinction has been made between solitude and loneliness. In this sense, these two words refer, respectively, to the joy and the pain of being alone. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Health effects

Symptoms from complete isolation, called sensory deprivation, may include anxiety, sensory illusions, or distortions of time and perception. However, this is the case when there is no stimulation of the sensory systems at all and not just lack of contact with people. Thus, this can be avoided by having other things to keep one's mind busy. [5]

Long-term solitude is often seen as undesirable, causing loneliness or reclusion resulting from inability to establish relationships. Furthermore, it might lead to clinical depression, although some people do not react to it negatively. Buddhist monks regard long-term solitude as a means of enlightenment. Marooned people have been left in solitude for years without any report of psychological symptoms afterwards.[ citation needed ] Some psychological conditions (such as schizophrenia [6] and schizoid personality disorder) are strongly linked to a tendency to seek solitude.

Enforced loneliness (solitary confinement) has been a punishment method throughout history. It is often considered a form of torture.

Emotional isolation is a state of isolation where one feels emotionally separated from others despite having a well-functioning social network. [7] [8]

Researchers, including Robert J. Coplan and Julie C. Bowker, have rejected the notion that solitary practices and solitude are inherently dysfunctional and undesirable. In their 2013 book A Handbook of Solitude, the authors note how solitude can allow for enhancements in self-esteem, generates clarity, and can be highly therapeutic. [9] In the edited work, Coplan and Bowker invite not only fellow psychology colleagues to chime in on this issue but also a variety of other faculty from different disciplines to address the issue. Fong's chapter offers an alternative view on how solitude is more than just a personal trajectory for one to take inventory on life; it also yields a variety of important sociological cues that allow the protagonist to navigate through society, even highly politicized societies. [10] In the process, political prisoners in solitary confinement were examined to see how they concluded their views on society. Thus Fong, Coplan, and Bowker conclude that a person's experienced solitude generates immanent and personal content as well as collective and sociological content, depending on context.

Psychological effects

Breslover Hasid practicing hitbodedut. KHsyd mtbvdd.jpg
Breslover Hasid practicing hitbodedut.

There are both positive and negative psychological effects of solitude. Much of the time, these effects and the longevity is determined by the amount of time a person spends in isolation. [11] The positive effects can range anywhere from more freedom to increased spirituality, [12] while the negative effects are socially depriving and may trigger the onset of mental illness. [13] While positive solitude is often desired, negative solitude is often involuntary or undesired at the time it occurs. [14]

Positive effects

Freedom is considered to be one of the benefits of solitude; the constraints of others will not have any effect on a person who is spending time in solitude, therefore giving the person more latitude in their actions. With increased freedom, a person’s choices are less likely to be affected by exchanges with others. [12]

A person's creativity can be sparked when given freedom. Solitude can increase freedom and moreover, freedom from distractions has the potential to spark creativity. In 1994, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi found that adolescents who cannot bear to be alone often stop enhancing creative talents. [12]

Another proven benefit to time given in solitude is the development of the self. When a person spends time in solitude from others, they may experience changes to their self-concept. This can also help a person to form or discover their identity without any outside distractions. Solitude also provides time for contemplation, growth in personal spirituality, and self-examination. In these situations, loneliness can be avoided as long as the person in solitude knows that they have meaningful relations with others. [12]

Negative effects

Negative effects have been observed in prisoners. The behavior of prisoners who spend extensive time in solitude may worsen. [13] Solitude can trigger physiological responses that increase health risks. [15]

Negative effects of solitude may also depend on age. Elementary age school children who experience frequent solitude may react negatively. [16] This is largely because often, solitude at this age is not the child's choice. Solitude in elementary-age children may occur when they are unsure of how to interact socially, so they prefer to be alone, causing shyness or social rejection.

While teenagers are more likely to feel lonely or unhappy when not around others, they are also more likely to have a more enjoyable experience with others if they have had time alone first. However, teenagers who frequently spend time alone do not have as good a global adjustment as those who balance their time of solitude with their time of socialization. [16]

Other uses

As pleasure

Howard Pyle's 19th century illustration of a marooned pirate Pyle pirate marooned.jpg
Howard Pyle's 19th century illustration of a marooned pirate

Solitude does not necessarily entail feelings of loneliness, and it may in fact be one's sole source of genuine pleasure for those who choose it with deliberate intent. Some individuals seek solitude for discovering a more meaningful and vital existence. For example, in religious contexts, some saints preferred silence, finding immense pleasure in their uniformity with God. Solitude is a state that can be positively modified utilizing it for prayer allowing to "be alone with ourselves and with God, to put ourselves in listening to His will, but also of what moves in our hearts, let purify our relationships; solitude and silence thus become spaces inhabited by God, and ability to recover ourselves and grow in humanity." [17]

In psychology, introverted persons may require spending time alone to recharge, whereas those who are simply socially apathetic might find it a pleasurable setting in which to occupy oneself with solitary tasks.

The Buddha attained enlightenment through uses of meditation, deprived of sensory input, bodily necessities, and external desires, including social interaction. The context of solitude is attainment of pleasure from within, but this does not necessitate complete detachment from the external world.

This is well demonstrated in the writings of Edward Abbey with particular regard to Desert Solitaire where solitude focused only on isolation from other people allows for a more complete connection to the external world, as in the absence of human interaction the natural world itself takes on the role of the companion. In this context, the individual seeking solitude does so not strictly for personal gain or introspection, though this is often an unavoidable outcome, but instead in an attempt to gain an understanding of the natural world as entirely removed from the human perspective as possible, a state of mind much more readily attained in the complete absence of outside human presence.

As punishment

Isolation in the form of solitary confinement is a punishment or precaution used in many countries throughout the world for prisoners accused of serious crimes, those who may be at risk in the prison population, those who may commit suicide, or those unable to participate in the prison population due to sickness or injury. Research has found that solitary confinement does not deter inmates from committing further violence in prison. [18]

Psychiatric institutions may institute full or partial isolation for certain patients, particularly the violent or subversive, in order to address their particular needs and to protect the rest of the recovering population from their influence.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shyness</span> Feeling of apprehension, discomfort or awkwardness in the presence of other people

Shyness is the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness especially when a person is around other people. This commonly occurs in new situations or with unfamiliar people; a shy person may simply opt to avoid these situations. Although shyness can be a characteristic of people who have low self-esteem, the primary defining characteristic of shyness is a fear of what other people will think of a person's behavior. This fear of negative reactions such as being mocked, humiliated or patronized, criticized or rejected can cause a shy person to retreat. Stronger forms of shyness can be referred to as social anxiety or social phobia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solitary confinement</span> Strict form of imprisonment

Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to discipline or separate incarcerated individuals who are considered to be security risks to other incarcerated individuals or prison staff, as well as those who violate facility rules or are deemed disruptive. However, it can also be used as protective custody for incarcerated individuals whose safety is threatened by other prisoners. This is employed to separate them from the general prison population and prevent injury or death.

Sensory deprivation or perceptual isolation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing, while more complex devices can also cut off the sense of smell, touch, taste, thermoception (heat-sense), and the ability to know which way is down. Sensory deprivation has been used in various alternative medicines and in psychological experiments. When deprived of sensation, the brain attempts to restore sensation in the form of hallucinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acceptance</span> Persons assent to the reality of a situation

Acceptance in human psychology is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition that is a fait accompli without attempting to change it or protest it. The concept is close in meaning to acquiescence, derived from the Latin acquiēscere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seclusion</span>

Seclusion is the act of secluding, the state of being secluded, or a place that facilitates it. A person, couple, or larger group may go to a secluded place for privacy or peace and quiet. The seclusion of an individual is called solitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loneliness</span> Unpleasant emotional response to social or physical isolation

Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social pain – a psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack of connection and intimacy. Loneliness overlaps and yet is distinct from solitude. Solitude is simply the state of being apart from others; not everyone who experiences solitude feels lonely. As a subjective emotion, loneliness can be felt even when a person is surrounded by other people. Hence, there is a distinction between being alone and feeling lonely. Loneliness can be short term or long term. In either case, it can be intense and painful.

Psychological punishments are punishments that aim to cause mental pain or discomfort in order to punish an individual. Psychological punishments are usually designed to cause discomfort or pain through creating negative emotions such as humiliation, shame and fear within an individual or by depriving the individual of sensory and/or social stimulation.

Emotional isolation is a state of isolation where one may have a well-functioning social network but still feels emotionally separated from others.

Social isolation is a state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and society. It differs from loneliness, which reflects temporary and involuntary lack of contact with other humans in the world. Social isolation can be an issue for individuals of any age, though symptoms may differ by age group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bet (short story)</span> Short story by Anton Chekhov

"The Bet" is an 1889 short story by Anton Chekhov about a banker and a young lawyer who make a bet with each other following a conversation about whether the death penalty is better or worse than life in prison. The banker wagers that the lawyer cannot remain in solitary confinement voluntarily for a period of fifteen years.

White torture, often referred to as white room torture, is a type of psychological torture technique aimed at complete sensory deprivation and isolation. A prisoner is held in a cell that deprives them of all senses and identity. It is particularly used in Iran; however, there is also evidence of its use by Venezuelan and United States intelligence services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermitage (religious retreat)</span> Place of seclusion

A hermitage most authentically refers to a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, or a building or settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion. Particularly as a name or part of the name of properties its meaning is often imprecise, harking to a distant period of local history, components of the building material, or recalling any former sanctuary or holy place. Secondary churches or establishments run from a monastery were often called "hermitages".

A loner is a person who does not seek out, actively avoids, or fails to maintain interaction with other people. There are many potential reasons for their solitude. Intentional reasons include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, religion, or personal considerations. Unintentional reasons involve being highly sensitive or shy. More than one type of loner exists, and those who meet the criteria for being called loners often actually enjoy social interactions with people but display a degree of introversion which leads them to seek out time alone.

Asociality refers to the lack of motivation to engage in social interaction, or a preference for solitary activities. Asociality may be associated with avolition, but it can, moreover, be a manifestation of limited opportunities for social relationships. Developmental psychologists use the synonyms nonsocial, unsocial, and social uninterest. Asociality is distinct from, but not mutually exclusive to, anti-social behavior. A degree of asociality is routinely observed in introverts, while extreme asociality is observed in people with a variety of clinical conditions.

Autophobia, also called monophobia, isolophobia, or eremophobia, is the specific phobia or a morbid fear or dread of oneself or of being alone, isolated, abandoned, and ignored. This specific phobia is associated with the idea of being alone, often causing severe anxiety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prisoner</span> Person who is deprived of liberty against their will

A prisoner is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison, or forcible restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a sentence in prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solitary confinement in the United States</span> Form of strict imprisonment in the United States

In the United States penal system, upwards of 20 percent of state and federal prison inmates and 18 percent of local jail inmates are kept in solitary confinement or another form of restrictive housing at some point during their imprisonment. Solitary confinement (sometimes euphemistically called protective custody, punitive segregation (PSEG) or room restriction) generally comes in one of two forms: "disciplinary segregation," in which inmates are temporarily placed in solitary confinement as punishment for rule-breaking; and "administrative segregation," in which prisoners deemed to be a risk to the safety of other inmates, prison staff, or to themselves are placed in solitary confinement for extended periods of time, often months or years.

While studies have shown the effects of solitary confinement to be detrimental to some inmates, solitary confinement of women has particular consequences for women that may differ from the way it affects men. Solitary confinement rates for women in the United States are roughly comparable to those for men and about 20% of prisoners will be in solitary confinement at some point during their prison career.

Criminal justice reform seeks to address structural issues in criminal justice systems such as racial profiling, police brutality, overcriminalization, mass incarceration, and recidivism. Criminal justice reform can take place at any point where the criminal justice system intervenes in citizens’ lives, including lawmaking, policing, and sentencing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confined environment psychology</span> Subcategory of environmental psychology

Confined environment psychology is a refined subcategory of environmental psychology. There can be severe neurological impacts upon remaining in a confined environment over a prolonged period of time. Confined environment psychology can come in different forms, including; by location and lack of or limited human interaction. The broad subcategory also includes the effects of social isolation on animals.

References

  1. ↑ Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now, 1963, chapter 1 "Loneliness and Solitude", section II: "Our language has wisely sensed these two sides of being alone. It has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone."
  2. ↑ Alexander Pope (31 December 2002). "Ode on Solitude". Archived from the original on 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  3. ↑ Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism , 1973, chapter 13 "Ideology and Terror: A Novel Form of Government", p. 476: "As Epictetus sees it (Dissertationes, Book 3, ch. 13) the lonely man (eremos) finds himself surrounded by others with whom he cannot establish contact or to whose hostility he is exposed. The solitary man, on the contrary, is alone and therefore 'can be together with himself' since men have the capacity of 'talking with themselves.' In solitude, in other words, I am 'by myself,' together with my self, and therefore two-in-one, whereas in loneliness I am actually one, deserted by all others.", ISBN   0156701537. Solitude is a pivotal phenomenon in the thinking of existentialists, and reflections on it have been recently tied with pandemic lockdowns and self-isolation solitary confinement; for example as argued in: Nader El-Bizri, "Being in Solitary Quarantine", Studia UBB Philosophia, Vol. 65, No. 2 (2020): 7–32.
  4. ↑ Matuszewski, Rafał (2021). Being Alone in Antiquity: Greco-Roman Ideas and Experiences of Misanthropy, Isolation and Solitude. De Gruyter. ISBN   9783110758078.
  5. ↑ Archived March 22, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Maltsberger, J.T., M. Pompili and R. Tatarelli (2006), "Sandro Morselli: Schizophrenic Solitude, Suicide, and Psychotherapy", Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 36 (5): 591–600, doi:10.1521/suli.2006.36.5.591, PMID   17087638.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Loneliness and Social Isolation — Tips for Staying Connected". National Institute on Aging. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "Understanding the Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health". publichealth.tulane.edu. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  9. ↑ Coplan, Robert J., Bowker, Julie C. (2013). A Handbook of Solitude: Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation. Wiley Blackwell.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[ ISBN missing ][ page needed ]
  10. ↑ Fong, Jack (2014). The Role of Solitude in Transcending Social Crises –New Possibilities for Existential Sociology. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 499–516.[ ISBN missing ]
  11. ↑ Bartol, C.R. & Bartol, A.M. (1994). "Psychology and Law: Research and Application (2nd ed.)". CA: Brooks/Cole: Pacific Grove. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. 1 2 3 4 Long, Christopher R. and Averill, James R. “Solitude: An Exploration of the Benefits of Being Alone.” Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 33:1 (2003): 30 September 2011.
  13. 1 2 Kupers, Terry A. “What To Do With the Survivors? Coping With the Long-Term Effects of Isolated Confinement”. Criminal Justice and Behavior 35.8 (2008): 30 September 2011.
  14. ↑ Long, Christopher R.; Seburn, Mary; Averill, James R.; More, Thomas A. (5 September 2002). "Solitude Experiences: Varieties, Settings, and Individual Differences". Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin. Sage Publications. 29 (5): 578–683. doi:10.1177/0146167203029005003. PMID   15272992. S2CID   16487168. Archived from the original on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  15. ↑ "Loneliness triggers cellular changes that can cause illness, study shows". PsyPost. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  16. 1 2 Larson, R. W. (1997-02-01). "The emergence of solitude as a constructive domain of experience in early adolescence". Child Development. 68 (1): 80–93. doi:10.2307/1131927. ISSN   0009-3920. JSTOR   1131927. PMID   9084127.
  17. ↑ "Preghiera, solitudine e silenzio | Leggere la parola di Dio con S. Francesco e S. Chiara nella vita di tutti i giorni". Archived from the original on 2017-06-17. Retrieved 2016-10-21. /
  18. ↑ "Criminologist challenges effectiveness of solitary confinement". www.sciencedaily.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
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