MEMO FROM NARA

 

‘Being alone is a curse.’ – Is it true? If we think on this statement seriously and try to counter argue I feel, there are a number of advantages of being alone. It gives us certainly good opportunities to think feel and know. One can try all sorts of new things without others’ interference. Our personal strengths increase. It enables us to put aside excuses for taking responsibility for ourselves. Many feel that it is always better to live alone instead of having an unfaithful partner.

 

There are millions of men and women lead their life alone independently with happiness and satisfaction. Mostly they are successful in life. They achieve great things in life because they feel independent and free. They do what they want to do, good or bad. They learn from what they do and enjoy doing what they want to do. Since, in our world every individual has developed a habit of having his or her own view point; it becomes difficult to depend on others. Thus taking decisions and feeling good all alone is the best way to achieve happiness and satisfaction in life.

 

In fact, we get many of life’s basic satisfactions by ourselves. When we brush our teeth, shave our beard, take bath, drink water, read a book or newspaper, go for a walk, study for an examination, prepare for a lecture, we do not need someone else’s company for these experiences to be enjoyable. Thus the list of pleasure and satisfactions that we can enjoy when alone is endless. Such a list indicates that most of the gratifications are accessible to us whether or not we are with someone else. Listening to a good music, gardening, jogging, a hobby, learning a language or painting, travelling to far-off unknown places alone make us happy and help us to experience life with pleasure. Such an enjoyment is experienced by everyone who is alone.

 

At the same time, the statement stated as the opening sentence of the memo –‘being alone is a curse’ is also true to some people who like to depend on others like the relatives, friends and subordinates. These people do not know how to enjoy their loneliness. They feel that loneliness is something like risk taking. Someone is always needed to help them when they are in trouble. Also they think that they need a group of supporters around them to approve what they say or do as the politicians and social or spiritual gurus. Those people who support the above statement like to derive pleasure and satisfaction at the cost of others. At the same time they cannot have a simple life and self-confidence as the ones who like to live alone.

 

If you analyze the statement, both the groups of people who are for and against it may face hard times in their life. But at the same time, each group will feel certain advantages and disadvantages. That depends on their mind-set and their way of making their life positive or negative, independent or dependent, simple or complex. Let us not forget, many men and women are forced to lead a life alone. Therefore, it is our duty to decide how to derive pleasure and satisfaction whether we live alone or otherwise. So being alone may not be a curse in the modern world provided one is engaged in some activity of one’s interest.