In our modern world, we are told that interacting with hundreds of individuals from different backgrounds and ethnicities is something perfectly normal. However, we have lived in small tribal communities for thousands of years, and our nature is still tribal: we are not supposed to maintain daily contact with such a vast number of people, many of whom are complete strangers to us. This is the root cause of social anxiety. I would therefore advise you to re-evaluate your friendships and ask yourself a few simple questions: which people that I interact with make me miserable? Are there any relationships in my life that are not worth continuing? Do both of us benefit spiritually and morally from talking to each other? Do I really need so many "friends", who don't even know my real self? Do not be afraid to break all those superficial bonds – it's for your own good. Learn how to love solitude and from then on only seek meaning and authenticity in your relationships.
On silence
Men talk to escape from themselves, from sheer dread of silence. Reflection makes them uncomfortable, and they find distraction in a noise of words. They seek not the company of those who might enlighten and improve them, but that of whoever can divert and amuse them. Thus the intercourse which ought to be a chief means of education, is for the most part, the occasion of mental and moral enfeeblement.
– John Lancaster Spalding[44]
Somewhere in the ancient kingdom of Rheged[45], crepuscular shadows slowly enshrouded a peaceful meadow where delicate gossamers floated in their celestial drowsiness. A fair poetess sat on a large moss-grown boulder in a birch copse. Following the footsteps of her mythical predecessor Taliesin[46], she sought inspiration among the soothing serenity of trees. She gazed heavenwards, at the setting sun, hidden behind mackerel clouds which were ablaze with a crimson glow. No sound could be heard, except for the rustling of foliage in the copse caused by a gentle breeze. Even the birds had ceased singing, as if enchanted by the very last rays of the setting sun. At the edge of the meadow ran a small rivulet. As the fleecy clouds above flushed delicately, the clean, silver flow was painted with an amalgamate of ochre and woad. The lustrous whiteness of her cheeks soon assumed the roseate hue of hearty joy. The Earth was quiet again, sunken into her twilit dreams.
***
We are living in the age of loudness. Never before have we lived in a world so polluted with noise. This is mainly due to rapid technological progress and the process of urbanization. Even the countryside is no longer as peaceful and quiet as it used to be one hundred years ago. The encroachment of machines not only spoils formerly pristine natural habitats, but also deprives us of a chance to enjoy the reinvigorating qualities of silence. Cars, motorbikes, quads, tractors, chainsaws, and many other modern machines promise us a paradise of speed and efficiency, but at the same time throw us into the hellish pits of an unbearable cacophony of noise. Is our health and sanity really worth sacrificing for the sake of accomplishing our daily tasks faster?
The omnipresent intrusion of noise has not omitted our households, either. Even though the modern man locks himself in soundproof fortresses to protect himself against the noise outdoors, he still seems to enjoy living in a cesspool of loudness. Listening to music through headphones or earphones has become an inseparable part of many young people’s lives. Although it is convenient and pleasurable, constant exposure to deafening sounds blasting directly into our ears damages our hearing and concentration. In the age of endless chatter, people are terribly afraid of outer and inner silence. As an illustration of this point, we need not look further than at those who fall asleep with their television set or radio turned on. Others cannot imagine their morning routine without these devices humming in the background. Many parents let their infants and toddlers watch television, but according to scientific studies such early exposure to media and background noise may negatively impact the child's language development, attention span and short-term memory[47]. Moreover, the unhealthy spirit of extreme gregariousness in many of our contemporaries (and their preference for being in the very centre of noisy crowds rather than seeking solitude) is a telling sign that the modern man deliberately avoids the supposed discomfort of silence. Ignorant to the restorative nature of stillness, fully immersed in the ocean of clamorous gibberish, he seems to be a hopeless case.
Silence, this time understood figuratively, is uncommon in our digital age on the Internet. The immense popularity of self-expressive media such as blogs or video blogs proves that everyone is talking and writing, but few are willing to take a step aside, read a book, or listen to someone wiser than themselves. In the dense jungle of the Internet, only those who shout the loudest, with their dishonest click-bait headlines and dramatic, attention-seeking behaviours, seem to thrive. The cult of hollow celebrities and fake, conceited, unqualified "lifestyle gurus" swallows the last bits of authenticity and truthfulness. According to the post-Vedic scripture of Bhagavata Purana, in our dark age of Kali Yuga, one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar[48].
To paraphrase Julius Evola's famous saying[49]: let us leave modern men to their bread and circuses, and let us only be concerned about one thing: to live in montane strongholds of tranquillity and mindfulness, rising high above the incessant racket of the crowds. The preliminary stage of the journey toward those metaphorical abodes of serenity is to reduce our exposure to external noise. Do we really need to wear earphones for the greater part of our day? I can partially understand people who listen to music in this way while commuting, or while performing tasks that require total concentration (studying, reading, etc.) in noisy environments. Likewise, those who are involved in sport activities may increase the effectiveness of their training by listening to their favourite tracks through earphones. These are understandable, though not ideal cases. My main point, however, is that the modern man deliberately bombards his own ears with high-volume sounds in situations and circumstances that do not justify it. For instance, there is absolutely no need to impede our concentration and general health while reading or studying in quiet environments, strolling in nature, or falling asleep. The same can be said about frequently attending loud rock or metal concerts – intemperance in this area of life may negatively affect our well-being in the long run.
Shouting, making loud exclamations, and speaking in a raised voice have their time and place in the realm of human communication. How often do we raise our voices unnecessarily, though? This is especially the case with many parents, who yell at their children with the intention of enforcing discipline. This creates a vicious cycle of completely ineffective verbal abuse – the child misbehaves, the parent reprimands it with harsh, loud words, the child's reaction is usually the opposite of what the parent was hoping for, so the latter becomes even more aggressive (which often escalates into physical abuse). Living in such a toxic, stressful environment can lead to severe emotional trauma and negative changes in brain structure. The ancient Stoics recommended cultivating the virtue of firmness, which in this context is understood as the quality of not being soft, but not completely impenetrable, either. There is absolutely no need to resort to hysterical, ear-piercing screams in order to appear convincing. Let us introduce placidness into our households and workspaces. Another good custom to adopt is eating communal meals in silence. There is no doubt that dining together creates and strengthens bonds between individuals who gather at the table and share their thoughts and daily experiences with each other. Communal meals are crucial for healthy family relationships. In Zen Buddhism, however, monks and nuns practise mindful eating in silence:
While eating perfect quietude prevails; the dishes are handled noiselessly, no word is uttered, no conversation goes on, and all their desires are indicated by folding and rubbing their hands. Eating is a serious affair with them[50].
If we master the art of doing only one thing at a time, we will quickly notice how focusing entirely on the task or action at hand considerably enhances the quality of our lives. Exclusive concentration on what we eat and how we eat it
makes the process of dining more enjoyable and gives our bodies proper nourishment. Let us put aside conversations and distracting text messages – they do not require our immediate attention. Those who are struggling with dispelling the mist of a wandering mind may try mantra meditation[51] shortly before dining. Our bodies also yearn for a moment of sweet silence.
Those who live in cities should consider moving to the countryside at some point in future. As has been said previously, it is indeed unfortunate that even rural areas can no longer be considered safe havens for individuals who seek sweet repose of the mind. No matter how severe the modern man’s detachment from nature will ever become, our innate need for halcyon woodlands and meadows will never leave us. As explained in my essays on hiking and forests, the sanative power of mindful strolls in nature fills our hearts with a sense of joyful balance. Exposure to stillness puts a stop to the constant chatter that pollutes our minds.
An excess of silence is not ideal either, unless one is well-trained to cope with it. In Alexandra David-Néel's famous book Magic and Mystery in Tibet[52] we learn about recluse Buddhist monks (gomchen) who voluntarily spend entire months and years either in specific abodes of meditation (tsams khang) located in the vicinity of a monastery or in remote cave dwellings high in the Himalayas. On could wonder how these anchorites do not become insane owing to the unbroken silence which surrounds them on all sides for miles. However, these men are thoroughly trained and prepared for seclusion. Advanced yoga techniques (such as tummo – inner fire meditation[53]) and various other spiritual exercises make their solitary retreat evoke feelings of "voluptuous sweetness", as David-Néel puts it in her book. With this exception in mind, an excess of silence is still generally harmful to our well-being. People cannot live in a psychological vacuum. If we don't stimulate the formation of new synaptic connections in our brain, we begin slowly drifting backwards to earlier stages of development. Therefore, we can't just avoid the world and shut ourselves in echo chambers, no matter how much corruption and degeneracy we witness around us. On a positive note, there is still beauty and hope to be found even in the darkest moments of Kali Yuga, provided one can open their mind and see beyond superficial forms. Last but not least, too much silence in human relationships is probably just as bad as loud arguments happening every day, if not worse – indifference can sometimes hurt more than a violent confrontation.
On Daydreaming
[In the Modern West] it is taken for granted that anyone who is not in a state of agitation and who does not produce much in a material way must be an “idler”.
– René Guénon[54]
A young Danish lady called Luna was rhythmically rocking back and forth on a swing that hung from an old oak tree. A single strand of her silver-blonde hair glimmered evanescently in the aureate sunlight. Every time the swing reached its highest point, Luna's closed eyelids were gently touched by the warm, autumnal breeze which peered through the branches. A hint of a faint, charming smile flickered across her luscious, cherry-coloured lips. She was clearly experiencing a moment of pure bliss. There were earphones in her ears, so she was probably listening to one of those ethereal, dreamy bands like Cocteau Twins. The ground was strewn with fallen leaves that rustled softly in a zephyrean dance. Luna was slowly waking up from her meditative state. Her deep blue eyes resembled the sunless waters of the sea at dusk.
***
Why is daydreaming frowned upon in our modern society? As the French philosopher René Guénon would have said, the modern man is living under the tyrannical reign of Quantity[55]. To the vast majority of our contemporaries, any activity that does not produce immediate quantitative, measurable results is perceived as a waste of time. This is the reason why dreamlike fantasies during waking hours are widely regarded as unproductive. If only the modern man shifted his attention from what is immediate to his senses, he could open the gateway to the realm of creativity, problem-solving, and endless possibilities. A healthy dose of daily daydreaming is essential to the mental well-being of intellectual and artistic types. For the former, a short-term detachment can be a perfect opportunity to conjure up brilliant ideas and effective solutions to problems. As regards the latter, I think it is obvious that daydreaming is highly beneficial to the process of creating art. In Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse, we can find an accurate depiction of introspective musings: "losing consciousness of outer things…her mind kept throwing up from its depths scenes, and names, and sayings, and memories and ideas, like a fountain spurting"[56].
For those whose daily tasks do not revolve around the direct application of intellectual and creative aptitudes, the practice of daydreaming can also prove to be advantageous. It is especially effective when the labour being done is mind-numbing and tedious, as is often the case in the psychologically-estranging capitalist mode of production. Sometimes one's mind stays on a manual task better when it is partially distracted, either externally (e.g. music playing in the background) or internally (daydreaming). That being said, it is important to stress that an excess of daydreaming has a detrimental effect on our productivity and concentration. Therefore, when indulging in such activities, we need to tightly hold the reins of self-control and moderation, lest we lose touch with reality. In the next essay, I am going to elaborate on why I think that every major undertaking requires deep concentration.
On Concentration
Do the things external that fall upon you distract you? Give yourself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around. But then you must also avoid being carried about the other way. For those too are triflers, who have wearied themselves in life by their activity, and yet they have no object to which to direct every movement, and, in a word, all of their thoughts.
– Marcus Aurelius[57]
Somewhere amidst the green hills of County Mayo in Western Ireland stood a partially dilapidated round tower. The building had been hastily abandoned a few months prior during a Viking raid. The first floor had been plundered and left in a state of disarray. The raiders had either neglected or had not been able to reach (perhaps because the ladders had been taken away by the defenders) the upper part of the tower, for it remained intact. On the uppermost storey, a renowned musician called Conchobar played the harp whilst the birds were sweetly singing in the warm, eventide air. A light breeze blew through the narrow window, quietly ruffling Conchobar’s golden hair. Not even the arrival of a small swallow on the windowsill could break the musician’s absolute concentration.
***
In the digital age, staying focused on our goals requires much effort and perseverance. Distractions assail us from every direction. Every single day we are continually bombarded with intrusive news, phone calls, notifications, and advertisements. Our minds are cluttered with completely inessential bits and pieces of information that steal our precious time and attention. Studies show that our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter due to the omnipresence of digital distractions[58]. The modern man’s preference for ever-accessible instant gratification has markedly affected his cognitive abilities, turning him into a lazy, unfocused, child-like creature, struggling to delay an immediate convenience for the sake of a greater reward in future. Being a chronic procrastinator, he rarely reaches his maximum potential.
Considering these unfavourable conditions, drawing up an effective plan for combating these obstacles is not an easy task. Although modern interconnectivity breeds distraction, it is still possible to retake control over our focus without quitting social media and the Internet altogether. In the following paragraphs, we are going to discuss several practical and reliable methods that facilitate the process of attention restoration.
First and foremost, it is always a good idea to get busy every once in a while. This doesn’t mean frenetically occupying yourself with incessant activity, something characteristic of the vast majority of our contemporaries. We should define explicit and attainable goals to work towards on a daily basis. They don’t have to be overly ambitious (at l
east in the beginning), but it would be beneficial if they were serious enough to become our greatest and most urgent priorities. The next step is to devote a considerable amount of time to them, so that we have a regular schedule to keep. Whenever our mind wanders to something more pleasant and rewarding (such as taking a quick glance at notifications on social media), we must react immediately and get our thoughts back on track. Let us think of our daily challenges as soldierly duties that must be executed, regardless of external circumstances or our current mood. The ancient Stoic philosophers, inspired by the rigid resolve of Roman legionaries, rightly emphasized the accuracy of this analogy. What the modern man clearly lacks is strict discipline that is maintained without regard for pain or pleasure. As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: for him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy[59]. The mind is like a precious treasure that requires constant vigilance against undesirable forces that can potentially compromise our sense of duty.
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