Solipsism
“The self is all that can be known to exist.”
As of late, I’ve felt a profound sense of disillusionment. Perhaps, in reference to my earlier columns, this discontentment, confusion, and sadness seem quotidian in my life; my pursuit of purpose giving me only small moments of clarity, overwhelmed by much more frequent internal turmoil. Frankly, I’ve had no philosophical revelations since my last column, only this feeling of nothingness that so consumes my soul.
Dramatic, I know.
In particular, this sheer and utter disappointment is unique, in the sense that it does not stem from a plight of self-introspection. Rather, it is engendered by others. It’s somewhat ironic, comical even; last month, I wrote about Taoism, a philosophy centered on focusing on the interests of those around you and through this, I essentially highlighted the selfish perspective from which I was approaching my pursuit. I wrote about people and our innate desire to bond, to converse, to understand, and to build relationships with one another: a key aspect of what gives meaning to our lives. And yet, armed with a conscious effort to apply this new mindset, it seems, in just two weeks, I’ve lost faith in people’s willingness to do the same.
See, I was not alone in viewing the world through such an ego-centric lens, nor at all, was I at an extreme. In the process of writing a Nexus article on political polarization in our country, I feel I’ve gained insight into another primal instinct of humanity, one not defined by our inherently social nature, but defined by fear; an overwhelming fear of things we perceive to be different from ourselves and therefore, a primal tendency to ostracize and villainize such people. This lack of understanding, of not wanting to understand, is crippling; it’s destroying our democracy and on an individual level, splitting us apart, drawing a line of red and blue, black and white that goes beyond mere politics, no, that reaches into the very depths of civil conversation.
Philosophy is grounded in thought, in the physical, metaphysical; it is the pedantic pursuit of our purpose in this realm of existence. I hesitate to believe now, however, that there will be a world to even search for meaning in, as our polarization has torn the very basis of our humanity apart.
What’s worse is I find myself receding into such disunity as well, receding into my very own mind in a sense of forced isolation; I feel myself sinking into this form of instinctual protection, hiding myself away from the very connection I so desperately sought.
This is the part where I tell you an answer, a magical method of thought that will provide a miraculous new perspective, invoking hope and optimism in our future. But, there will be no sense of satisfaction; this issue will not resolve itself kindly by the end.
I, genuinely, don’t know what’s to come.
But, instead, I offer this: a warning. A warning against solipsism, the belief that the self is all that can be known to exist. It’s the concept that you are the only person and everything else a figment of your imagination. It’s the very closed mindedness I saw myself exhibiting. But, inherently it’s an extremely elementary philosophy. It’s stupid. But, most of all, it’s irrefutable. A mind overwhelmed by solipsism is irrationally final.
We may not all embrace solipsism to its extreme, but everyone is susceptible to being so immersed in our own worlds that we forget something so innate to us: empathy. Our ability to peer into each other’s minds and place ourselves within people’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Let us not forget this ability then, to explore worlds, outside of ourselves.
