By Leanne Spencer

 

Written: October 6th, 2018

Tested: September 25th, 2019

 

The human condition, though varying in specific details, has always been one of loneliness. It would be fair to argue that all our earthly pursuits, from the day we are born to the day we breathe our final breath, are to distract us from the fact that we are all so cripplingly alone. 

 

But what of the man who rejoices in it? What of he or she, who finds no comfort in the distractions of temporary things and impermanent people?

 

Recluse

Noun

1. a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people.

 

Misanthrope

Noun

1. a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

 

Hikikomori

Noun

1. (in Japan) the abnormal avoidance of social contact, typically by adolescent males.

 

In the bible (if you believe in that sort of thing), God™ made Adam from the dust, before declaring, “It is not good for man to be alone.” So, god knocked him out, harvested one of his ribs (without his consent, mind you) and made a companion for him. This was Eve. A little further into the book, she eats a pomegranate and is subsequently blamed for the suffering of all of mankind.

 

The book of Genesis was written thousands of years ago, presumably before we had a grasp of human psychology. However, it was still known to the author – who either deeply disliked women, or couldn’t stand pomegranates – that we as humans are social creatures, who tend to thrive in the company of one another. Yet in every generation, there have been a handful of people who just didn’t fuck with other people, like that.

 

As a policy, we tend to crucify them for it.

 

It’s a cyclical process. The majority concludes that their best hope for survival is the stick with the pack. So, in exchange for safety, they discard their individuality and smooth down their rough edges; go with the flow. But one in every hundred finds that they’re pretty much nothing but rough edges. To blend in would be to fade away, to lose themselves completely and – as is their right – they decide it just isn’t worth it.

 

These brave few choose the path less travelled by. In some cases, it’s more a dirt road than anything but somehow it just feels better under their feet than the one paved over, in well-worn concrete.

 

But then, what of the 99 others?

 

Rejection

Noun

1. the dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc.
2. the action of spurning a person’s affections.

 

Our evolutionary systems have made it so that we see naturally see things as, us vs them. Once we’ve chosen a side, we are always right and they are always wrong. Any information to the contrary is discarded, but supporting evidence is always greeted with the exclamation, ‘I knew it!”

 

To the 99 others, the lone individual that has strayed from the pack has rejected everything the pack stands for. Furthermore, their beliefs and their actions can only be a threat, and that threat must be eradicated.

 

Retaliation; revenge.

 

Revenge

Noun

1. You know exactly what the fuck it means.

 

And then there was one, who couldn’t stand the thought of being shaved down to 0.5. So holding their own, damn hand – they walked another way. But when the people on the paved path, saw what they had done, they began to lift the bricks from the road and pelt them.

 

And though each stone hurt; broke flesh and shed blood, the soul just kept walking. Every step hurt more than the last, yet every subsequent step felt more sure than the first. And whenever they’d fall, unsure of whether they had the strength to get back up, they’d think to themselves…

 

If they are so certain that the road they walk is the right one, what concern is it of theirs where I step? 

 

We live in a world where people are forced into moulds so old and unfitting that their models have long since turned to dust. Yet anyone who refuses to chop off a part of themselves for the sake of a gold star is marginalized to the edge of society.

 

Q: What do the edge of society and the bottom of the ocean have in common?

A: People die there.

 

The funny part is, I think that’s the point. Then again, I have a strange sense of humour. What I mean to say is that if you don’t fit the mould then you must be broken, and what use do we have for broken people? So, they are sent somewhere; out of sight, out of mind, in hopes that their sickness will die with them. And if they aren’t dying fast enough, we help them along as best we can, holding their heads below the waters of loneliness until they stop kicking.

 

It is cruel. It is barbaric. It is human nature.

 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

          – Robert Frost

 

Everyone misses the point of that poem; the two paths have always lead the same way. We were born alone, and we will all die the same way. Those that chose to walk with the pack, succeeded only in comforting themselves for a short period. They cannot follow anyone into the next life (if you believe in that sort of thing).

 

That is not to say that choosing to walk alone, anymore prepares or protects you from the burden that is the human condition. But if you are to die alone, all the same, you might as well walk the path that fits the curve of your soles, and the leanings of your soul.

 

Freedom

Noun

1. the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants.

 

Conclusion