Schopenhauer’s views on solitude

It is not exaggerated to affirm that #solitude enabled Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) to become a great philosopher. It took him forty thousand hours of quietness to sharpen his powers of observation, and another forty thousand to make sense of what he had observed. #schopenhauer Schopenhauer held solitude in high regard because it is a prerequisite of self-awareness. Individuals need quietness to understand how the will (“life force”) affects their lives. In his book “The world as will and representation” (1818), Schopenhauer argued that the will never stops prompting humans to pursue goals that are often impossible to achieve. The will is to blame for a large part of #dissatisfaction and suffering in the world. Solitude enables individuals to disengage from the influence of the will. It helps people say no to distractions and confront their passivity, disorientation, and fears. According to Schopenhauer, solitude can help you achieve a profound understanding of the world in general, and yourself (your motivation, goals and desires) in particular. In contrast to modern psychologists, Schopenhauer did not rate solitude negatively. In modern terms, I would say that he refused to be categorised either as alpha (group leader) or beta (group member). In “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851) and other books that Schopenhauer wrote after moving to Frankfurt, he illustrates how to use solitude to develop #tranquillity and inner peace. Unless you carve a private space of total quietness, you might be driven by the pressures and expectations of society. Unless you cultivate self-awareness, your decisions will be distorted and polluted by the noise of the world. Schopenhauer pointed out that solitude is also necessary for artistic contemplation. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-views-on-solitude/