Solitarus -- The Love of Solitude (Translated Article)

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Readers of Philosocom, this is an article I wrote around 2015–2017 from my first book, Hermitericum, on a concept I have developed. It could be useful to those looking to venture deeper into the original version of my philosophy, which was called back then Solitary Individualism and later changed to Rubinshteinic Individualism. Enjoy yourselves!

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A central term in the Indie-Solitaire vocabulary is Solitarus. In order to understand the writing in the Indie-Solitaire books, it is crucial to understand initially what Solitarus means.

Before I begin, there is a basic need to distinguish between 3 types of seclusion, which are:

• Loneliness. A state in which the individual is enslaved to their social nature, still suffers from them being alone due to this exact reason, and in contrast to the individual who enjoyed their seclusion, the first one is actually enslaved to their seclusion because they view it as a problem that needs to be eliminated, instead of accepting it as a part of human existence.

  
  

• Solitude. A state that the individual finds quite positive and functional in the eyes of their personal experience, but not [necessarily] in the philosophical aspect of the word.

• And finally, there is the state that the Indie-Solitaire ideology views as an intellectual and evolutionary ideal, which is Solitarus. Solitarus is the evolutionary step where the individual liberates themselves from the social nature and instead develops a less dependent and more autonomous nature, called The Isolating Nature.

On the contrary to the social nature, which dictates that the individual engages in social recreation as a means for their survival, the isolating nature, a much rarer kind, calls the individual to seclude as much as they are available in order to ensure their intellectual survival.

In contrast to existential survival, "intellectual" survival means to preserve and fulfill the higher needs of the mind (a.k.a. needs such as wisdom, knowledge, and true satisfaction) by being alone.

Solitary Individualism views the isolating nature of isolation as "superior" because it is less dependent on friends, family, and partners.

Achieving the state of solitarus does not mean to alienate the social environment. The simple idea is to prosper and function in the absence of social interactions, while being self-propelled. The Indie-Solitaire is no misanthrope, but a person who aspires to their own and to have more independence and liberty through seclusion, in addition to the wish to be in harmony with the external world.

Due to the increasing hatred, accusations, and alienation in today’s world, it may not be an easy task. According to a theoretical "hierarchy" of the concept of seclusion, there are three "classes" of people who are alone:

1. The individual who may have just found themselves to be alone or does not accept seclusion (or both) is called "Initiate", because they have just experienced the state of their loneliness. The initiate shall usually see their seclusion as something negative, since their social nature rules upon them in a way that prevents the possibility of seeing seclusion as a "good" thing. Instead, they view this concept as bad.

A moralistic and dichotomous mindset, acquired by socialization, only contributes to the prevention of the concept’s positive aspect being acknowledged by the initiate.

The initiate may find themselves suffering when not together with other people, and it is probable to assume they will complain about the problems created due to their solitary condition and their dependence on the social nature’s unfulfilled urges, even if they look fine in general.

They are yet to overcome what needs to be overcome in order to earn intellectual, mental, and philosophical profit in the depths of seclusion, and even, as the majority of humankind, the initiate shall attempt to run from their state of being back to the comforts of social interaction and recreation for them to escape coping alone with seclusion’s void.

This is only the negative aspect of this experience, where one suffers from loneliness. Thus, the non-average initiate may find themselves adjusting to their unknown seclusion and even finding pleasure and comfort they hadn’t thought of as probable in such a state.

2. After the initial experiences, the initiative shall find itself as a Solitaire Initiate, a person who views their seclusion as an action they approve of and sometimes justify. They may have yet to overcome the social nature, but in comparison to the fresh initiative, the solitaire initiate is more independent from the human urge for social interaction and knows how to cope alone when they are [alone], whether this seclusion is voluntary or inevitable for a time.

They may still have a relative dependence on society regarding the higher needs of the mind (such as the need for emotional feedback, approval, attention, and love), but it does not prevent them from evaluating seclusion with acceptance. It is possible to say that "indie-solitude" may be the most balanced state since it is placed at the limit of the socially acceptable level of seclusion and does not reach seclusion in its ideological (if not religious) aspect. It's an aspect that is central to the Indie-Solitaire’s mindset as a man or woman of principles.

3. The final state of solitarus is reached when the following conditions are fulfilled: The individual can provide for their own higher needs (both emotional and intellectual) by themselves; they accept and see seclusion as an inseparable part of their lives; when they are in love with their existence (a.k.a. feeling love when alone, not necessarily to a specific person or entity ["Solitarus"]), and when they honestly see themselves as loner, hermit, or monk. Only then can they be by themselves, not only physically but also mentally and intellectually. Only then does the solitaire-initiate become a Spiritual Solitaire. And thus the individual had overcome their social nature in the name of greater liberty.

The state of "Solitarus" is the rarest of the three, while loneliness is the most common and solitude is in the middle [in rarity]. Loneliness is bitter, desperate for a major dependence upon the company of people; the solitude grants the individual the capability to adjust to being alone; the Solitarus liberates, evolves the Spiritual Solitaire into a higher state of autonomy, individuality, and seclusion. And through these values they may find a great source of meaning to their existence. It is important to remember the following: there is no solitarus without seclusion. There is no solitude without loneliness, solitarus without loneliness, and no solitude without seclusion.

In order to reach the "good" it is necessary to experience the "bad", and in order to experience the "bad" it is necessary to be aware of the "good" [as a potential of enduring the bad, as endurance gives strength]. In order to seclude, there is a need to acknowledge society as a whole, with its misery and pleasure, and in order to be a truly social person, one must be aware of seclusion's potential negativity and positivity [You cannot seclude yourself from something you don't know, you cannot understand the social nature without understanding why we escape from our solitude]. This is the harmony between the opposites. While no one can be fully existent without becoming aware of the possibility of the other. Even the greatest loner/hermit/monk may be aware of company, and even the most social person may be aware of seclusion [for we act based on the awareness of things and beings in relation to ourselves]. In order to actualize the notion of solitarus there is a need to be in harmony with the external world, a.k.a. society, if not in practice then at least in mindset [otherwise you'll be tempted to misanthropy and you won't get to experience the love of the solitarus state of being. "Solitarus" can give us the love towards general existence, and thus bring us peace]. In order to achieve that harmony, there is a need to know serenity, and to know true serenity, there is a need to seclude. The essence of solitude is to combine it with the acknowledgement of togetherness. The coexistence of the needed and the wanted, the freedom with the awareness of slavery [AKA overdependence], [and] the individual and interpersonal acknowledgement. There is also a need, however, to beware of society in this case. They may try, through preaching and persuasion, to prevent you from being in seclusion to the extent and way you wish, even if your free time allows it. They may tell you things like "it is not healthy to be alone", "it is bad to be alone", "I care for your well-being because you are alone". The social people, which may be the smashing majority of the world, even though they are aware of the concept of seclusion, are found in a state of pre-experience, both due to the media, and because their social prestige persuades them from being alone, even if there is no evil within it.

It is important to know that in order to seclude oneself "with all of their heart", some things need to be given up, which are: the social nature, full dependence on other people’s guidance, accepted norms of belief, and at times other people.

Only when the bird is set free from the warmth of its brethren can it fly freely to wherever it may wish. Just take note, that there may be no one to guide you in the darkness, and when you may find yourself extensively alone, perhaps you shall die alone as well. The Solitarus is the price of liberty, maturity, and autonomy. It is the essence of maturity in one’s mind, and the more you find yourself alone, the more you will grow old internally. Isn’t it better to stay young? Isn’t it better to be loved than to love? Isn’t it better to depend heavily on other people than to find yourself alone? I do not claim for nothing that the philosophy I offer to you is for everyone to successfully and extensively endure. There are some who are too enslaved for them to try or even decrease their level of social submission and escapism, or perhaps they never acknowledge the fact that in any relationship there is a certain level of non-liberty, limitation, and surrender. The choice to be alone is a choice of brave people who dare to say "no" to their social nature, which is a product of socialization. Even the Spiritual Solitaire may find themselves feeling alienated. Even the most popular and famous of all may find themselves alone. I doubt if there was ever a human being who did not experience negative seclusion at least once.