solitude

Emerson is one of my earliest literary heroes. I remember when I discovered him in high school (thank you, AP English), I pretty much fell in love with him. I felt like reading Emerson taught me to see the world differently, to live differently. He put into words some of the most resonant wisdom I have attempted to live by.

One of the lessons he taught me was the value of solitude. Being able to keep "with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude" even "in the midst of the crowd" is one of my life's themes. It's so much harder to do than I imagined. I think this observation informs many of my interests, from communication and self-expression to poetry to psychology.

What does it mean to maintain "the independence of solitude"? To preserve our self-trust in the presence of others?

I'm not sure I can answer that, but I think it takes practice. It is a practice. Maybe even a lifelong journey.

But what I think is necessary, what's implied in Emerson's assertion, is that the thing to "keep with perfect sweetness" means that we must first discover and develop the independence of solitude. Solitude is the prerequisite to self-trust; it's a necessary ingredient for creativity and confidence. It is something I have learned to not only value, but to crave.