On Solitude

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If these times endure, I shall become a hermit,
For I see nothing here but grief and torment;

Evils reign, good folk are held in scorn,
And the wicked seize the seats of government.

Eustache Deschamps (14th century French poet)

Human life may destroy itself. With so many existential risks confronting the species it seems likely that we will self-destruct now that we have sufficient power to do so. At any moment the immoral or the incompetent or the ignorant might launch the nuclear weapons—or enslave, deport, dehumanize, or imprison us. We are mere afterthoughs in the psypathologies of most of the rich and powerful. Our world is, in many ways, a cold, harsh, hostile, and unforgiving place. Follow the news or sleep in the street and this fact will become apparent.

As I said in my last post, it’s hard not to be infected by what’s happening around you—extremism, political dsyfunction, meanness, cruelty, misinformation, bullshit, etc. But how should we respond to all this?

It seems we have to go on living. We should try to appreciate the beauty and goodness that surrounds us (yes, it’s there too) and avoid, reject and not be stained by the stupidity and vice encircling us. This entails retreating somewhat from world, finding peace in solitude. It doesn’t imply moving to a cave, but rather to carving out spots to be alone in perilous times. Even in a city you can be something of an “urban hermit.”

The world has always been a dangerous and perilous place but our ancestors perservered and so can we. But we’ll need a lot of luck.