Hermitism
And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. (I Kgs 17:2-7)
Is is OK to withdraw from society? Isn't this selfish, because you've decided not to contribute to society, to help others?
Putting aside moral concerns, isn't this also unnatural? It's a form of extreme introversion, but we were made for each other. We're supposed to love one another. A mountain man has no object of love, except, perhaps, God, but it was God who told us that the second greatest commandment is to "love our neighbors as ourselves".
Why do some people enjoy solitude so much, to the point that they never want to see other people again?
And then aren't there what you might call "urban hermits" among us, those who are so engrossed in their passion that they have very little need for other humans, often to the point of even being celibate (for example, Newton, Erdös [20th century Hungarian mathematician; read his fascinating biography here], or Maurice Ravel (early 20th century French composer link])
2 types of outsiders – the hermit and the wanderer, the mountain man and the drifter. Why is the drifter looked down on? People don’t understand the mountain man, but the drifter they hate.
thinking point: “sanyasi – a religious Hindu in the 4th stage of life, who, having renounced everything, is now above all rules and ritual and holds himself aloof from society and ceremony.” compare with yurodstvo
Putting aside moral concerns, isn't this also unnatural? It's a form of extreme introversion, but we were made for each other. We're supposed to love one another. A mountain man has no object of love, except, perhaps, God, but it was God who told us that the second greatest commandment is to "love our neighbors as ourselves".
Why do some people enjoy solitude so much, to the point that they never want to see other people again?
And then aren't there what you might call "urban hermits" among us, those who are so engrossed in their passion that they have very little need for other humans, often to the point of even being celibate (for example, Newton, Erdös [20th century Hungarian mathematician; read his fascinating biography here], or Maurice Ravel (early 20th century French composer link])
2 types of outsiders – the hermit and the wanderer, the mountain man and the drifter. Why is the drifter looked down on? People don’t understand the mountain man, but the drifter they hate.
thinking point: “sanyasi – a religious Hindu in the 4th stage of life, who, having renounced everything, is now above all rules and ritual and holds himself aloof from society and ceremony.” compare with yurodstvo