The Dilemma

“Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.”

— Paul Tillich

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Sometimes living alone is what our soul craves— away from others, our heart yearns for tranquillity, a time to ponder what it is up to. Often confused with loneliness, temporary isolation can profoundly impact how we think— an inner feeling awakened by the distraction of utmost silence. But little do we have time for such luxury. On another note, we don’t get a chance at all cause we live in a family, a gathering of endless loving faces. But love itself sometimes needs to dwell in solitude to delve into the self-consciousness of disappointment. Otherwise, it gradually loses its appeal and freezes as time goes by.

To be lonely, it’s not a grandeur to feast on— it is a social phenomenon of feeling isolated despite being surrounded by others. That being said, you can be lonely even when surrounded by hundreds, thousands of people. While the mental effect of loneliness is far greater than we understand, the depression itself eats the person inside like a worm nourishes itself by the tender pulp of an apple without altering the physical appearance until the day the apple falls out of the brach, lacking the strength to hold on any longer.

On the other hand, solitude is the dude you enjoy being with. It’s like a vacation you have opted for to reboot your life and foster a different point of view upon return. There is joy, laughter, and a sense of fulfilment in living in solitude. The companionship of therapeutic silence overpowers the miserable self and extracts the morbid feeling of weariness, giving strength to the body to find a different meaning of life, to live life the way it deserves.

However, living in a family even with loved ones may sometimes create the urge to be a solitary rider. It’s not because you don’t enjoy their company, but you are having the hardship to blend in for the moment, perhaps unwinding in some distant places will help.

The most promising fact of having the family by your side is you WON’T be alone. At the same time, the same family, when the table is turned, will be the spike in your shoes as you CAN’T be alone— a dilemma every family person lives with.

But there is happiness living amidst the chaos of the family, and it goes beyond any materialistic accomplishment. They are the reason for your smile, and this particular smile is the most natural thing you will assimilate, absorb, and aspire to be with.

You may argue that living in solitary away from the family is the reason your smile sustains. With none to interfere your lifestyle, the enjoyment is at its peak— you may say; and I don’t disagree. But the smile you have on your face is not because your heart is content, rather you are obsessed with the biasness of materialistic fulfilment that is sugarcoating your each day— fooling you with the temporary happiness with no connection to the heart, and you go to sleep with the wrong impression of being in a solitary while, in reality, you are dwelling in loneliness.

Trust me; you can’t truly enjoy loneliness; none ever did or ever will.

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Photo by Cary Bates on Unsplash