The headline of an article on The Verge reads, “Humans prefer an electric shock to being left alone with their thoughts.” The potential for puns is shockingly high. I can feel the electricity as I type…
Anyhow, the article points to a study in which people were given a choice: sit alone in uninterrupted silence and solitude for 15 minutes, or amuse yourself (or whatever) by pressing a button that will shock you. The majority chose the shock, and some chose to repeat the shock quite a bit. My first thought was that this doesn’t really prove anything. I probably would have been curious enough to push the button at least once just to see what it felt like. But it is the repeat offenders that confound me. The first time is just curiosity, the 20th time must be done out of sheer boredom.
Regardless of the cause, it is an interesting anecdote for what we have been coming to realize for some time now: modern people struggle with solitude and silence. This is something I have pointed to quite a bit on this blog, and something that continues to trouble me. I believe it is one of the great pastoral issues of our day. It is a logical progression for a culture in which we are constantly surrounded by bells and whistles – even books. I wonder if any of the trial-subjects spent the 15 minutes in silent meditation and prayer. Perhaps we should all take this as a cue to do so.
Read the article HERE.
I actually delight in silence and thinking alone, it’s the opposite that can be disagreeable to me. How about you?
I have had to make a practice of disciplined solitude over the years, especially since having children. I find that it is good for sanity. But at the same time I do not think God is calling us to be monks who spend most of our time alone. Balance is the key. We are called to live in relationships, but without time for quiet reflection (not to mention prayer) even the relationships won’t be right.
“All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”
Blaise Pascal
Great quote. And our present world may be a parable of that point.