The End of Solitude

Precis:

William Deresiewicz, informative article, “The End of Solitude” (January 30, 2009) claims that solitude is being replaced with constant use of technology. Deresiewicz talks about technology taking away our ability to be alone, He then says that his students tell him they have no time for solitude, and finally that solitude allows us to secure the integrity of the self and explore it. Deresiewicz wants people to understand that solitude is a good thing and technology is giving us a blind eye to that realization. Because Deresiewicz works with young students his influence is geared towards them, but anyone who grew up with technology and is dependent on it keeping them from being alone would be his audience as well.

Academic Summary:

Introduction: Deresiewicz main point of this article is that solitude is being replaced with the constant use of technology. The author first talks about technology changing us, all we want is people to know who we are, we need to be constantly talking to people otherwise we are lonely. He then compares solitude to history and religion by saying how religious figures preach solitude and the wonders of being alone. He then proceeds to discuss different aspects of solitude through things like modernism and calvinism, modernism being harsher and calvinism being more spiritual. After that Deresiewicz talks about how technology is changing the meaning of relationships with ourselves and others. He talks for awhile about loneliness and boredom and their comparisons between generations and how Deresiewicz tried to help himself change. Finally he wraps the whole thing up by discussing the importance of solitude to people and that without it nothing is as important or meaningful.

Descriptive Outlining: by paragraph

1. Say: camera and computer connecting people, people want to be known Does: twitter and Facebook validating us, being seen by others, Lionel trilling talking about post modernism and visibility

2. Say: Solitude disappears when living only with others and technology, doing this to ourselvesDoes: teenager sent 3000 texts in one month, never alone for more than 10 minutes, we are never alone

3. Say: being alone is unsettling Does: student doesn’t like being alone, why would anyone want to be alone?

4. Say: history, being alone is a religious experienceDoes: religious figures live through solitude, “you cannot hear got when people are chattering according to religion we need solitude.

5. Say: Marilynn Robinson interpreted Calvinism to focus the soul inward Does: talks about printing press to that of the television than the internet, it’s an act of great inwardness and subjectivity

6. Say: history and religion, god and nature, solitude is becoming physicalDoes: naming people who experienced solitude, the soul may either welcome in friends that may make a grander self-acquaintance, or solitude

7. Say: Modernism harsher solitudeDoes: Freuds narcissism: self-enclosed and inaccessible to others, cant choose but to be alone

8. Say: modernism is menacing; authenticity is an essential relationship with oneself Does: solitude and authenticity go side by side, comparing to god and protestant

9. Say: submersion by the mass, isolation by the herd Does: going outside and hanging with friends was normal, now unimaginable

10. Say: internet ca along and changed everything, easy to feel lonely, impossible to be alone Does: parent can keep in touch with far friends, teenagers no longer feel like freaks, too much of a good thing, Facebook, twitter, messaging, cellphones

11. Say: friendship isn’t as meaningful Does: students said little time for intimacy, no time for solitude

12. Say: we want friendship, no solitude desire, why would one want thatDoes: technology, sitting in front of computer to maintain friends, fear of being cut off, the more we keep loneliness at bay the more terrifying it gets.

13. Say: boredom and loneness are closely allied, one generation to the nextDoes: boredom came from tv loneliness came from internet, tv occupies you internet lets you talk to others and not be alone.

14. Say: born in 60s and 70s you were trained to be bored due to the TV Does: permanently has to fight boredom, alternative to boredom is idleness

15. Say: loneliness and solitude, like idleness and boredom, Does: internet as powerful for loneliness as tv for boredom

16. Say: losing solitude nothing is enough anymore Does: Walden pond of our own nature baiting for darkness, internet is asking for trouble, giving up our solitude, reading means skimming, 5 minutes is an eternity

17. Say: no belief in solitary mindDoes: decision making is powerfully influenced by social context, the power of social networks, no mental space that is not social

18. Say: kids now a days don’t keep things privateDoes: they lack a sense of their own depth, and keeping values hidden

19. Say: solitude is a good thing, comparing to a nun Does: we are our own beings, unique with solitude, mysterious, like a nun preserved with integrity

20. Say: learning during youth to have solitude is important says Emerson. Does: nothing is good without solitude, people need to grow up appreciating solitude

21. Say: explains importance of solitude Does: you can only save yourself from losing it, you must be different to save yourself

22. Say: solitude isn’t politeDoes: to achieve solitude you may have to hurt some people and yourself, cant be afraid, must be able to stand alone to find it