finding yourself through solitary work and concentration
Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it. Not learning other people’s ideas, or memorizing a body of information. Developing your own ideas, thinking for yourself.
I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it’s always what I’ve already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom. It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise. And often even that idea doesn’t turn out to be very good. I need time to think about it, too, to make mistakes and recognise them, to make false starts and correct them, to outlast my impulses, to defeat my desire to declare the job done and move on to the next thing.
solitude doesn’t always have to mean introspection. Concentrating, focusing. You can just as easily consider this lecture to be about concentration as about solitude.
No, I don’t like work. I had rather laze about and think of all the fine things that can be done. I don’t like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work,—the chance to find yourself. Your own reality—for yourself, not for others—what no other man can ever know.
Marlow (Heart of Darkness) believes in the need to find yourself just as much as anyone does, and the way to do it, he says, is work, solitary work. Concentration.
“Your own reality—for yourself, not for others.” Thinking for yourself means finding yourself, finding your own reality.
linked mentions for "finding yourself through solitary work and concentration":
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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.
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courage to think things through for yourself
That’s what Emerson meant when he said that “he who should inspire and lead his race must be defended from travelling with the souls of other men,
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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.
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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
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Solitude and Leadership
If you want others to follow, learn to be alone with your thoughts