Freedom and loneliness: how are they different and which is better?

Sociologists and psychologists consider loneliness to be a problem in modern society. Paradoxically, in the era of generally available computer communications, people increasingly refuse to communicate and interact with each other, self-isolating and moving away from society. At the same time, they explain their choice by the desire for complete internal freedom, independence from society, social stereotypes and generally accepted standards. What is the difference between loneliness and freedom? Can a lonely person be considered free and vice versa?

Loneliness and freedom are not the same concepts. Each of them denotes a special state of the personality, which is formed under the influence of a number of external and internal factors.

So, according to the definition, under "freedom" it is customary to understand such a state of an individual, in which he is the reason for his actions. In simple terms, any act of a free person is the result of his independent decision based on his own motives, principles, feelings, personal experience. The actions of a free person do not arise under the influence of external factors (natural, social, interpersonal).

In turn, the term "loneliness" means the complete absence of social contacts in a single individual, the loss of his physical and spiritual interaction with society as a whole. Psychologists distinguish between positive and negative loneliness - states that are formed under the influence of external or internal factors. Positive loneliness (solitude) is a state to which a person strives voluntarily under the influence of any internal factors (for example, due to emotional or physical fatigue).Negative loneliness (isolation) is a condition in which the interaction of the individual with society is completely lost under the influence of external factors: natural, social.

The concept of "freedom" is based on the statement that each person is free in his thoughts, decisions and actions. but this does not mean that a person can do whatever he wants, violating or restricting the rights of other members of society. Freedom and permissiveness are fundamentally different concepts that should be distinguished from each other.

So, a free person makes decisions and acts, guided not only by his own motives, but also by social norms, without going beyond the framework of universal human values, moral and ethical foundations. Permissiveness, on the other hand, denotes a state of personality in which her actions often run counter to the system of universal human values, moral, ethical and legal norms.

Experts note the importance of the psychological component of loneliness, due to which this state can be both negative and positive. A person's voluntary desire for self-isolation can be due to his personal value system, worldview, self-esteem, existential search (the search for the meaning of life). Being a free person, a person independently decides on self-isolation and acts guided by personal motives.

A curious phenomenon called "loneliness in the crowd" is noteworthy. Sociologists and psychologists associate it with the intensive development of computer technology, which has dramatically expanded the field of human opportunities for communication and social interaction. The emergence of social networks, instant messengers, and computer programs for communication at a distance has had a completely unexpected effect on society, the opposite of what was expected.

Instead of actively striving to build up social contacts, people began to consciously limit themselves in communication, avoiding any means of interaction with other representatives of society. Psychologists associate this phenomenon with information oversaturation, which in the scientific community is called "information fatigue syndrome."

Often, psychologists associate the feeling of loneliness with the onset of the development of depression, which affects emotional, hypersensitive natures. In this case, the feeling of loneliness may be accompanied by a loss of spiritual relationship with society (“no one understands me”), denial and rejection of the proposed norms and rules (“this is not for me,” “this is alien to me”). However, even in this case, a person does not cease to be free, acting within the framework of his own beliefs and principles. Conscious alienation from society is the result of decisions made by a person.

In the specialized literature, loneliness is almost always interpreted in a negative way. A person experiencing a feeling of deep loneliness has negative emotions: apathy, resentment, anger, aggression, depression, mental pain, annoyance, envy. Psychologists, in turn, associate positive emotions with a feeling of freedom: a feeling of lightness, soaring, independence, a surge of mental strength, the feeling of wings behind your back.

From a philosophical point of view, each person is free and lonely at the same time. It is known that every representative of society comes into this world and leaves it alone.Understanding this fact allows you to form a neutral (which is logical and correct) attitude towards loneliness as a natural state of the individual.

Psychologists consider it important for a person to perceive loneliness... Positively minded people use this state for personal growth, physical and spiritual development. Loneliness often finds expression in creativity: poetry, music, painting, sculpture. In this state, a person seems to cut off from himself the streams of unnecessary information emanating from society.

The ability to make independent decisions that serve as a guide to further actions is human freedom. Each person is free in his decisions and actions, and no external force is capable of limiting this freedom (of course, if human actions do not contradict generally accepted values ​​and legal norms). Human freedom is also manifested in the fact that he has the right to independently assess his current state.