Alone–It Depends Upon Your Perspective

Posted on by equipsblog
All by myself
Don’t wanna be
All by myself
Anymore
From The Song All By Myself by Celine Deon
What does it mean to be alone?  Are you truly isolated by distance, love, feelings, incarceration, faith, being marooned in a distant spot?   Is being alone the same as being lonely?
lone cypres aloneFrom this perspective, the famous Lone Cypress along 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach looks quite alone.  It stands alone on its point, the other cypress trees are not visible from this angle.  The haze on the early morning sea seems to heighten the feeling of isolation.
In this picture, you can see the branches of another cypress tree in the foreground solone cypress with perspective that Lone Cypress has neighbors.  Do you have neighbors or friends nearby that you do not notice because of your perspective of being alone?  Sometimes the neighbors may have a different, if not better, perspecive than you do. If you both branch out, you may find a common point of view.
Audrey Hepburn famously said “I don’t want to be alone, I want to be left alone.”
Do you just want to be left alone, or do you want to be alone?  Sometimes we do find our own company the best at a particular point in time.
Do you make a  point of being alone on your point?  Can you see others in the distance but do not feel drawn to them for whatever reason?
Does being a self-diagnosed Introvert or Extrovert add credence to your point of separateness?  Is that the same as isolation?
Is no man (or woman) truly an island?
lone cypress--not really alone
Did you notice how the perspective of the Lone Cypress changes as you move from picture to picture?  It all depends upon which point you stand on to survey what or who is around you.

Published by equipsblog

Writer and oenophile in training

20 thoughts on “Alone–It Depends Upon Your Perspective”

  1. I have called myself an introvert, but then I remember numerous childhood episodes when I was the loudest kid in class, the one to answer first or volunteer first. So I dunno . . . maybe I’m an extrovert who values time alone to rest and recharge.

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  3. I had a boss who said where you get your energy determines if you are an introvert or an extrovert. According to her, introverts get energy from being alone and extroverts draw their energy from crowds. I am an introvert for the most part but many of us may fall somewhere on the continuum. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.

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  4. Read the book, Quiet, which was popular a few years ago, Among the many good points it makes, the book claims that introverts can fake being extroverts, but extroverts have a very hard time faking introversion. I have always known this to be true, having made a successful career as a college professor. I would leave my nice, safe office and make the five minute walk to class several times a week. On the way, I would take deep breaths, lift up my head, and prepare to go into the arena. I’d teach 200 freshmen at a time, in full voice and with expansive gestures. Then I would walk back to the office and feel myself relaxing to be my real self again.

    No man is an island, as Donne said, but I prefer to live on one.

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  5. I have lived on an island. Middletown is on Aquidneck Island which is shared with the other two small towns of Newport and Portsmouth. (Guess which one is in the middle.) Thanks for your thoughtful response. I agree that Introverts probably have an easier time faking it than extroverts. I like crowds in modified doses. I hated compulsory attendance at social functions. Still do. I called them mandatory group gropes.

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  6. Great questions. I am most comfortable with quiet moments but I am happiest when with my immediate family. Partway through, I have to leave and be alone but that’s partly due to a head injury. In earlier days, I took on extrovert roles in part because they were a challenge. Now, I have to be more cautious. Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Cynthia. We all have challenges and opportunities to be who we are, better than who we are normally, or follow our more self-centered or selfish preferences. It depends upon the time of the day, day of the week and other things going on in our lives that only we may be aware of. After being ‘on’ for a period of time, I really need to be alone or in a very small group to recharge.

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  7. Nicely presented! BTW – The song was written and first released by Eric Carmen in 1975. The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. (Just some trivia from this songwriter.)

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  8. I’m so glad it’s OK now to admit, no just SAY that you’re an introvert. I think it’s because of that energy thing, not because introverts are somehow defective or willfully “difficult.” As for faking it, introverts have to be able to look like extroverts because that is still considered the norm. And when you think about it, faking something works better if you have an audience. An extrovert sitting at home by themselves — who are they going to play to? Good post; made me think!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Do plants have a sense of loneliness? I think some animals might especially pack animals. Some animals habitually live alone except for mating. Introverts do need some alone time, at least from my perspective.

      Liked by 1 person

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