Loneliness & Solitude

 

The fine line between solitude and loneliness gave its taste to the world on account of the catastrophic phase struck by the pandemic. Till then majority of those who preferred their own company had never realized this difference between loneliness and solitude. One can be lonely amidst a crowd. Loneliness could have its presence among persons who are physically together but mentally absent for one another.  Introvert persons who are unable to connect with others in a genuine sense are prone to be lonely. The obsession of man with mobile phones & social media has made man lonely within a crowd. When you are engrossed in your mobile then you are voluntarily lonely and if the other person is engrossed in the mobile then you are involuntarily lonely. This is one of the biggest hazards of mobile phones & social media. 

Whenever one is engrossed and too obsessed with the phone & social media you  knowingly / unknowingly choose loneliness. But one cannot bear if the other party behaves likewise. Now both parties have to be alone voluntarily / involuntarily. The mobile phones have been successful in connecting us with the world beyond miles and disconnected us with those very near and dear to us. In family gatherings / parties / any function / get togethers one can find a crowd that is disconnected with those all around them. The funniest and scariest part of this is that we have resorted to mobile phones & social media as a remedy for our loneliness. We keep ourselves busy through it and squander our valuable time. This is a threat to all those who are elderly / unemployed as they are under the illusion of being very busy. 

This is one of the greatest deadly menace the society is facing today. Loneliness is going to become the greatest threat to the society in densely populated and less populated countries across the globe. We are all being pushed towards loneliness. The tragic paradox lies in the solution which we have found - technology. We are seeking solutions to this by inventing robots with artificial intelligence who will talk to us, listen to us and and follow our commands. The disease itself is the antidote. This is what the tech professionals are leading us to. They intend to confine us to the world of mobile phones and give remedies to the problems caused through them within these mobile phones. 

This has blurred the line between loneliness and solitude. In solitude one is creative and resorts to doing things that will rejuvenate you but mobile phones & social media lead us to loneliness where one is busy doing nothing most of the time. In solitude one discovers the self and reflects / meditates. One can see things clearly in solitude and look forwards to bring a transition. Loneliness on the other hand can be devastating and depressing - be it at home / workplace / anywhere. Loneliness can lead you to a slow death. It can drain you mentally and physically. One must pledge to connect actually i.e. face to face with your family / friends / relatives / colleagues / anyone if it is feasible. Keep the virtual connect on hold till then. Virtual connection can be taken into consideration only if actual / real connection is not feasible. This is the key to a healthy society but at this juncture it is a tragic fact of our life because majority of us live in this virtual world instead of the real world. The destruction caused by this deadly menace is invisible and we need to be watchful and alert.