"Critics have also noted the American fear of loneliness. Individual identity is sacrificed in an effort to stay close to the herd, to be no different from others in thought, feeling, or action. To stand aside, to be alone, is to assert a personal identity...one of the surest signs of the resolution of the identity crisis is an increased capacity for being alone, for being responsible for oneself."
Merton, Thomas. Contemplation in a World of Action (Notre Dame, Indiana: Notre Dame Press, 1998) 42, 43
There seems to be a constant battle between our mind, which craves belonging and the soul which wants us to learn to trust ourselves through the Holy Spirit. As our soul travels through life, it becomes less dependent on needs deemed necessary by our mind and in turn allows us to conquer the fear of loneliness that our mind plants within us.
ReplyDelete@gabriel fear can be a powerful thing and can drive the "battle" between the soul and our minds. we can tend to compartmentalize the two when in reality-- we are one person.
ReplyDeletethe battle, at times, might be more about the integration of these aspects within ourselves and to see that they desire the same thing: union