A Case for The Thinking Life

 

Goethe: “One can be instructed in society, one is inspired only in solitude”

I picked up these three books randomly at the library and have been reading them simultaneously. A chapter or two from one book in the morning, from another at night or the next day.

And I’ve found there is a common thread.

In “Braving The Wilderness” Brené Brown writes about belonging and the courage to stand on your own, in your uncertainty if necessary. She reminds us that belonging doesn’t require membership in something external to us, experiences that involve others or agreement in popular opinions.  Yes, we all want to be part of something, to feel connected, but it’s not to be found in the “us versus them” culture. Belonging fully to oneself requires solitude and searching.

But in today’s world of information overload, solitude can be difficult to embrace for some. Which brings me to the next two books: The Thinking Life (How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction) by P.M. Forni and Wired to Create by S. Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire.

Both books speak about the importance of carving out meaningful time in a world of distractions. Forni’s book (The Thinking Life) encourages solitude for the purpose of thinking while Wired to Create does so for the purpose of creativity. Of course, thinking and creativity are closely intertwined.

Forni says thinking helps us make meaning of our experiences, allows us a lens through which to see ourselves and others more clearly.

Wired To Create emphasizes that it’s not just artists and writers who need solitude for inspiration and creativity. Even the businessman, the engineer, the inventor, all need time alone to shuffle through their thoughts. When we’re alone a different part of our brain kicks into gear. Imagine if we never allowed ourselves this opportunity? What would we be denying ourselves, our brains?

Rather than being seen as a negative personality trait, the capacity for solitude reveals emotional maturity. (Wow then, I must be exceptionally emotionally mature).

In The Thinking Life, Forni cautions us to strive for balance in our lives by “thinning out the sprawl of the trivial in it” and setting aside time just to think. How often do we do that? We view our leisure time as vacation time or fun time or the opportunity to get caught up on stuff, rather than as periods of reflection. He says reflection and introspection build up our internal resources, grounding us in who we are (back to Brené Brown’s knowing and belonging). So that when there are disruptive external influences, we are not as weather vanes, turning hither and thither, but we are like clocks, relying on our internal resources.

The choice is obvious as to which one would choose to be: a weather vane or a clock.

 *

 Distractions Abound

All the world at once at our fingertips

Email pings and newsfeeds through the day

Opinions posing as smart-as-whips

Absorb them all—your mind will blow away.

 

All jostling to be right, the endless din

Wanting you to proclaim—I belong there

And not here and here and here. They want in

No, I belong everywhere and nowhere.

 

“Know Thyself” can never be realized

Without solitude to look deep inside.