Be a writer who is focused on the audience:
Thesis: The installment of solitude in individuals’ lives is a necessity for a genuine relationship with oneself -authenticity-, and a genuine relationship with those around them.
The age, gender and economic status of my target audience:
When I imagine my target audience, gender is not really a factor I am thinking about. The topic of the benefits of solitude apply to both genders equally. It really applies to people of all ages. Anyone of any age can fall into the trap of living in autopilot and be fearful of solitude. This paper might be more effective with the audience of young adults because they are just starting their lives and constantly assessing and reassessing how their lives are going to go. They are possibly more open to what solitude could offer them. With economic status, I am still aiming to all people all the same. Again, people who are just starting out are probably more willing to listen. A goal for me is to have my audience be people who are hustling and very stressed about making money. Another aim for my audience would be people who make a lot of money and who and are stuck in the trap of living for money.
What interests, beliefs, and values might they bring to your topic and thesis? I believe that a younger audience will be a lot less receptive to this idea. The influence of the constant use of technology and social media is very impactful on this generation. Middle aged adults may still even have a hard time with this concept; as many of them in the modern day fill the capacity of their attention span with their home lives and their jobs. I believe many will argue that it is more important to stay connected to others than to experiment with solitude. Many would also respond negatively because of the assumption that all time spent alone is very dangerous and can lead to deppression.
“Examine Possible Reasons” questions on page 226
- my reasons do say pretty much exactly what I want them to say
- My reasons are simple and do connect to my thesis
- Neither of them contradict eachother, they are consistent with eachother but different topics
- I will talk about introspection first because the benefits of solitude in interpersonal relationships build off of the benefits from introspection
“Examine Possible Evidence” questions on page 227:
What kind of evidence does each repsonse require? I think an authoritave testimony will suffice for each of these questions. It is not as necessary for hard data.
How much evidence do i need? I need enough to cover any holes in my argument
Have I selected the best pieces of evidence from all that I could use? I think so! I think I picked some solid quotes from respectable people/writers.
Case Outline of reasons and my evidence:
Solitary is necessary for the wellness of the soul:
“Men arent disturbed by things but by the principles and notions they form concerning things” -Epictetus.
If you want to learn how you can be perfectly fine when you’re alone, you’ll have to understand what causes the problem in the first place. If you’re capable of opening your mind to the state of being alone, fear of loneliness will be replaced by curiosity.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Simplify your life. Don’t waste the years struggling for things that are unimportant. Don’t burden yourself with possessions. Keep your needs and wants simple and enjoy what you have. Don’t destroy your peace of mind by looking back, worrying about the past. Live in the present. Simplify!” ~ Henry David Thoreau
I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least – and it is commonly more than that – sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.
-Ian’s story
Solitude is necessary for the wellness of relationships:
Today’s young people seem to feel that they can make themselves fully known to one another. They seem to lack a sense of their own depths, and of the value of keeping them hidden.
According to David Brooks, that reliable index of the social – scientific zeitgeist, cognitive scientists tell us that “our decision – making is powerfully influenced by social context”; neuroscientists, that we have “permeable minds” that function in part through a process of “deep im itation”; psychologists, that “we are organized by our attachments”; sociologists, that our behavior is affected by “the power of social networks.” The ultimate implication is that there is no mental space that is not social.
We, however, have made of geniality — the weak smile, the polite interest, the fake invitation — a cardinal virtue. Friendship may be slipping from our grasp, but our friendliness is universal
Health insurer Cigna’s 2018 U.S. Loneliness Index found that 46 percent of Americans report feeling lonely sometimes or always,
Kara's Blog 