Solitude

What does this mean to me? The topic of my Language Assignment. Anyways continue reading...it's my first attempt.

Usually when a person is in solitude, they work.

SOLITUDE

"Solitude is a Choice, Loneliness is Involuntary."

Solitude. One Word. Several Questions. While many remain confused between the terms 'solitude' and 'loneliness', many are unaware about the term 'solitude'. So, what is Solitude? Solitude is a state of isolation or seclusion i.e. lack of contact with people. Now, what is Loneliness? Loneliness is the state of being alone with the feeling of unhappiness. "They are so similar. I do not see any difference." The best way I could reply to this statement is by stating that Solitude is the joy of being alone and Loneliness is the pain of being alone. Puzzled? Here, let me explain it through two situations.

Let us begin with the pain in order to enjoy the joy in the upcoming paragraphs. A girl named Niki experienced both the pain and the joy of being alone. Like every high school story, she was surrounded by fake friends during her freshman and sophomore years. She believed in her "so-called" friends and trusted them as much as she trusted her parents. Until, they betrayed her. This resulted in loneliness and isolation. Niki spent innumerable hours like binge watching movies and long hours of sleeping. She was shattered, heart-broken, and desolated. Niki did not choose this. It had been imposed on her by her friends. Or should I say ex-friends? Anyways, it depleted her.

Moving on to the second situation. While Niki wasted hours on irrelevant activities, she also spent hours listening to her favorite music. Somewhere along those voices, she found her inspiration and realized that this was not the end and did not run parallel to her outgoing personality. So she chose to make this time productive. Niki started working out and focused on improving her dance skills. She ensured that her studies remained unaffected and enrolled in a couple of online courses. In fact, this state of isolation resulted in freedom for Niki. What kind of Freedom? The Freedom of making the right choices. She learnt, grew and above all bloomed from a naive girl to a sagacious girl. It restored her mind and body for the upcoming challenges in life.

When reflecting back upon the above situations, we notice that the first situation had a negative impact on Niki. But, we also learn that it gave her inspiration to take that time as an opportunity to learn and grow. The negative impact of isolation is considered as loneliness while the positive effect is considered as solitude. We learn that while Solitude is a choice, Loneliness is involuntary.

"But, why Solitude?" Solitude may stem from various situations like deliberate choice, infectious diseases or circumstances of employment. It can be achieved in different ways for example, Buddha attained enlightenment through uses of meditation and poets like William Wordsworth found solitude in nature.

In conclusion, Solitude and Loneliness look similar but there is a fine line of difference between the two. Solitude depends from person to person. It may be treated as a choice, a punishment or a treatment. In psychology, introverted individuals require spending time away from people to recharge, while extroverts occupy themselves with solitary tasks. The effects of Solitude range from freedom to increased spirituality. Hence, Solitude is the joy of being alone.

My Solitude

2020 indeed gave everyone a chance to experience Solitude. For me, my solitude did not begin until Taylor Swift dropped her eighth album - Folklore. She was my inspiration to make 2020 a better year for myself, to look at it as an opportunity, to take it as a time to learn about myself and to make the best out of it. Swift's surprise album inspired me in unexpected ways like trying new things or expressing my emotions. Slightly different from others, I found my Solitude in Dance, Video Editing, and Writing. The day you read this is the day my last card unfolds haha.

Anyways, this is my perspective on Solitude...hit me up with yours!