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How To Spend Time Alone
Popular culture is confused about solitude. The image of 'happiness', conveyed by television and advertising, is of a merry group of friends, while being 'alone' and being 'lonely' are considered almost synonymous. But one in three of us now live alone, and that number is set to rise. This evening, we'll be exploring what thinkers from Montaigne to Woolf have had to say about the distinction between solitude and loneliness. We’ll ask why being alone can sometimes feel so frightening, and what benefits there might be to overcoming our fears. We’ll consider what we can learn from the practices of hermitage and retreat from the world. And above all, we’ll ask if it’s really possible to be happy in partnerships, in friendships, at work and with family if we can’t also be happy by yourselves? Thoreau said: "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers." Come alone, or with a friend, to find out whether, and how, we can enjoy the unique comforts of solitude. New dates to be announced shortly.
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