solitude

Imagine stepping away from the noise of everyday life. You close the door, put your phone aside, and sit alone with your thoughts. Does that feel like liberation — or confrontation? In the sixteenth century, Michel de Montaigne wrote a remarkable essay on precisely this theme. His conclusion was surprising: true solitude has little to do with physical isolation and everything to do with the freedom of your own mind. Understanding this reveals a connection that resonates deeply with the very heart of Freemasonry. What Montaigne Really Meant by Being Alone In his thirty-eighth essay, titled ‘On Solitude,’ Montaigne does not advocate fleeing from society. Quite the opposite — he warns against the illusion that you can escape inner turmoil simply by retreating to the countryside or a monastery. ‘The soul carries its torments with it,’ he writes. In doing so, he touches on something fundamental: solitude is not a matter of location but of inner disposition. You can feel lonelier in a crowd than in an empty room, and conversely, in silence you can be deeply connected to yourself and the world. Montaigne builds on the thinking of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, Stoic philosophers who likewise emphasized the importance […]