Solitude vs Loneliness (an unknown battle of understanding)

 

Imagine yourself in a box with nothing inside the box it just you in that dark box and each passing hour you will keep on thinking what to do? how to get out? You will keep on thinking about how to move out from the realm of that box, you will not think anything else it would just be you and that box. Now imagine again you in that box but with a pen and paper with some crayons initially you will think how to get out of the box etc. the same questions in your mind will arise but this time scenario would be little different after a while you will pick up that paper, pen and crayon and will do something with it when you will get bored of thinking then a new feeling inside your mind will arise that is to “wait and see what happens”. Loneliness comes when you are unhappy with your surroundings this feeling pesters on your sadness which is related to people around you like you are in dark box alw
ays questioning yourself why am I alone? Although you will have a good number of things to do right in front of your eyes, but your emotions are related, and you can’t do anything about it

“My peers, lately, have found companionship through means of intoxication - it makes them sociable. I, however, cannot force myself to use drugs to cheat on my loneliness - it is all that I have - and when the drugs and alcohol dissipate, will be all that my peers have as well”. – Franz Kafka

It’s in our human tendencies we need people Afterall we are social animals we want to form communication and relationships with other humans’ inability of it would make us disappointed in ourselves and that often lead to the feeling of non-inclusivity in the society which then creates an emotional turmoil inside the heart. Detachment has a theme of loneliness; it’s kind of profound state of not being able to develop that feeling of belongingness and with that comes isolation “it’s a state of being detached from other people whether it’s physically or emotionally. If we talk about literature and how this theme of loneliness is used. In a subtle manner if we see these theme first appeared in “George Milton’s” – Paradise Lost in the 17^th century. Later after the Industrial revolution this theme got more popular amongst the people as most of the people were moving to larger cities which resulted in losing bonds with their families and that emptiness within themselves made them discover this theme which is termed as isolation. Sometimes Isolation is also associated with “alienation” in turn doesn’t necessarily involve physical separation. It’s mostly referred to as a lack of involvement and a sense of belonging while being present. It is also closely connected with the theme of dehumanization. So, if we see there is a prominent connection between alienation and loss of identity, and it often results from a character’s self-search in a hostile and close bounded society with alien ideas and values. These characters often differ from the dominant majority, so the community treats them negatively and undermine their value

In the book “The Art of Being Alone- Loneliness was my cage, Solitude is My home” by Renuka Gavrani gave me a new perspective on this very topic. In chapter four “The Love for solitude” there is a line where it says when people leave us stranded in the middle of the journey, we feel lost like it’s all dark and scary. What you don’t realize is that you need to walk alone to reach where you want to go. Everyone has different goals so they cannot take the same route as you. And that is how you differ loneliness from solitude it gives you power to have your imagination and whereas loneliness gives you a grim atmosphere to dwell on, you start to question yourself because you yourself never took time to appreciate and know yourself, you needed others to be the source of your own happiness. and that is where all the misunderstanding happens, and the simple fact is this that you don't know yourself is the reason you accept the bare minimum from people,
and this is what you want -to get distracted from the actual you