the solitude leaders.

An excellent video on TED.com by Susan Cain about the power of well needed solitude.

Let us put aside well known leaders mentioned in the video or what researchers and scientists find for a moment. Most people enjoy the company of others and its not a sign of weakness but it is in fact a strength if we can actually embrace.

Susan has vividly described the importance of being in a group whilst alone. What does this mean? Well let us dig deeper into her younger days when she enjoyed reading together with her family. -where there was no direct interaction, however the security of being together with each other was there.

Keith Sawyer has also critique Susan Cain and made very valid points about her idea.

If we dig deeper into the essence of group think and individual think, are they not the same at some level?
Relatively, ‘a group’ only exists when there exists ‘the being of an individual’ or ‘not in a group’, vice versa for the case of being an individual. -what does this have to do with anything? Some argument can be made such that the group needs individuals to function as a group and an individual is an accumulation of his/her surroundings over time OR whatever the group they have been surrounded by overtime.

Thus, we need the group for the individual to exist and an individual for the group to exist. Susan talks about the importance of solitude. Solitude is important to get in touch with ones’ self. However, ones’ self must have such direction and that direction is influenced by the group that that individual has been subjected to. Complete solitude is near to impossible, without a religious or cult motivation behind it. Thus it is important to understand that there lies a unique balance between the both.

…a ying and yang perhaps…

As an individual, one must explore his/her group where that group they are the most comfortable. From there she/he must make observations, assumptions and collect information, whether be it relevant or not relevant. Thereafter, one must process this information over time and create a reality to own their own development.

Collect information, process information, conclude session, create individual and group reality, exercise and execute, gain feedback and more information, process information….. and the cycle continues…

confused? -read it again, go and process it and come back…