discovering what you believe by articulating it to a friend
So solitude can mean introspection, it can mean the concentration of focused work, and it can mean sustained reading. All of these help you to know yourself better. But there’s one more thing I’m going to include as a form of solitude, and it will seem counterintuitive: friendship.
Of course friendship is the opposite of solitude; it means being with other people. But I’m talking about one kind of friendship in particular, the deep friendship of intimate conversation. Long, uninterrupted talk with one other person. Not Skyping with three people and texting with two others at the same time while you hang out in a friend’s room listening to music and studying. Multitasking, is not only not thinking, it impairs your ability to think.
That’s what Emerson meant when he said that “the soul environs itself with friends, that it may enter into a grander self-acquaintance or solitude.”
Introspection means talking to yourself, and one of the best ways of talking to yourself is by talking to another person. One other person you can trust, one other person to whom you can unfold your soul. One other person you feel safe enough with to allow you to acknowledge things—to acknowledge things to yourself—that you otherwise can’t. Doubts you aren’t supposed to have, questions you aren’t supposed to ask. Feelings or opinions that would get you laughed at by the group or reprimanded by the authorities.
principles An ongoing exercise of radical introspection expressed through first-person singular writing, the slash-principles page serves as a fluid document that reflects my evolving truths, beliefs, and principles. Discomfort is not an enemy, it’s a teacher! Each tenet is shaped and refined by the hard choices I make, aligning with my personal raison d'être and ikigai.
co-creation Co-creation is a collaborative approach that emphasises designing with others rather than for them, rejecting top-down models that impose solutions
principles page project The Principles Page Project invites you to make a public commitment to yourself and your community. By clearly defining and sharing your core values, you create accountability and align your actions with personal and professional integrity. This page becomes a tool for intentional living, fostering authentic connections and supporting a more grounded way of navigating the digital world.