Why do brilliant minds need solitude?

Solitude as an ingredient of creativity

“I was always told I should be more open, although I believe that being an introverted person is not a bad thing. For years I went to crowded bars, many introverts do, which represents a loss of creativity and leadership that our society cannot afford. We are convinced that all the creativity and productivity comes from a particularly sociable place. But solitude is the essential ingredient of creativity. Darwin took long walks through the woods and emphatically declined invitations to parties. Steve Wozniak invented the first Apple computer sitting alone in a cubicle at Hewlett Packard, where he later worked. Solitude is important. For some people, it is even the air they breathe”.

A society that does not respect solitude

After spending the day surrounded by people and overloaded by all the stimulation we receive from our environment, there is nothing better than a moment of solitude to breathe. Our society does not respect this solitude, it is not well regarded. Those who do not marry or do not have a partner are looked at with suspicion. No one teaches us that spending time alone is good — no, not good, it is necessary. We fill our children's free time with group activities, they are never bored, they almost never play alone, and this is a 21st-century mistake that we all make. If no one teaches us the value of solitude, we will not give it the importance it truly has.

Solitude, creativity and emotional independence

One of the most surprising findings is that solitude is fundamental for creativity, innovation and good leadership. A study conducted in 1994 by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (the great psychologist of happiness) found that adolescents who cannot bear solitude are incapable of developing their creative talent. I cannot think of any other way to be creative than by spending time alone; I do not see myself creating anything surrounded by my children or my friends. When I write, I do it alone; when I think, I do it alone; when I read, I do it alone; when I reflect or meditate, I always do it alone. There is no other way. Someone who fears solitude will avoid spending time alone and therefore will miss out on opportunities for creation. If we transmit this fear to our children, they too will see solitude as something bad and will always seek company. To be independent you must learn to be alone. If you are not afraid of solitude you are less likely to embark on relationships of emotional dependence.

Time to know ourselves and reflect

When we are alone we can reflect on what we do and how we do it, and this sometimes frightens us. But we need time to know ourselves, time to know what we want to do, what makes us happy, time to think, decide, dream…

Living alone in a hyperconnected society

We live in a society that is constantly connected — social networks, whatsapp, mobile phones… Our life is public, everything we do we share, there is no space for solitude on facebook. Ours is a hyperstimulated society and our brain receives an overload. We do not leave time for silence, for thinking, for contemplating…It is a society where living alone is not well regarded. We believe it is not good, but we forget that whoever lives alone has probably chosen it and may have a much wider social network than someone who lives with a partner or has children. Living alone must stop being seen as a handicap and start being seen as just another life option, and solitude must stop being seen as something to avoid and start being seen as something necessary to disconnect and to create.