Shrinking Violet!

Recently I read a wonderful article along the lines of solitude which was written by my aunt. Well, she was deep rooted in her insights on why solitude is necessary and the same being proven time and again through the ages. I am an introvert to some extent so I would agree with her. But at the same time I understand the value that being around people has for your sanity and overall well-being. I find socializing for extended periods of time to be exhausting, albeit enjoyable, so I need my time alone. But I've seen a lot of people out there who freaks out when they are alone! What is it about being alone that scares us? Why do so many of us tend to avoid it like it's a curse? Why do we fear it so much? 

My aunt questions me further on the same issue and asks me whether people are really afraid of being alone - All I could do was just nod my head and consolidate a small research for her! 

Before going on further, I need to make clear that there is a vast, humongous difference between Solitude and Loneliness. From the outside they may seem the same - But not all the glitters is gold. 

"Loneliness is marked by feelings of isolation and persists even when one is with other people, which is perhaps the most bitter form of loneliness." 

"Solitude, on the other hand, is a state of being alone, content with your own company, enjoying the silent places of your soul without feeling lonely, and it can lead to self-awareness." 

Well, A few reasons could be as follows - 

• Insecurity
• Extended dependence on people 
• Trying to establish a sense of identity of one's own
• Society these days
• Most importantly, US!

People who are insecure has this burning feeling to make themselves feel superior with people because they feel violently inferior when they are alone.They feel it's always better to be surrounded by people because else around them less than they think they are so they could feel good about themselves. They don't think that they can make themselves better so it seem like a logically next best choice. This happens in deeper level of psych so most of them don't even notice it, they are too busy on making everybody less than they are and don't fallow the trails of the real reasons. We avoid ourselves because we're afraid of what we might find: a forlorn, flawed someone who's missing out on that big party called life. 

Our culture seems to have this complex about being busy. Most of us have that little time to spare for ourselves but we consistently avoid it and convince ourselves that we don't need it. It's like driving a car and not stopping for fuel because the exterior of the car is just awesome! On the other hand, we don't get a lot of credit in our culture for doing nothing. 

But trust me "Carving out a little solitude can make a world of difference. So go ahead—give yourself a break." because on the journey of life, no one ever made any great progress without making the time for reflection.