Is it possible for a human to be emotionally self sufficient?
11 replies, posted
This has been something I've been thinking about for a while. Is it possible for a human to get all his emotional needs met from himself? I always hear my professors say that humans are a social creature. Like it is ingrained in the human DNA, a need to be social. Could a human be the complete opposite of a social creature and still be stable?
Depends on if you're asking if whether you're asking a human can healthily live an entire life with no social interaction, then no. Studies show people will go mad and scatter brained.
If you're asking whether a human can lead an emotionally satisfactory life without any major social connections, from family to partners, I think someone like that will forever struggle with personal problems stemming from emotional isolation.
I'm pretty sure that if you isolate a 20 year old man from the social world, he'll go mad and re-live (or hallucinate) the moments from his past. Maybe eventually end up with suicide. Don't think it's possible for a human to live without social interaction.
Mostly. I do just fine minimizing my social interactions as much as possible. I dont enjoy or get any tangible benefits from socializing, if anything it puts me in a foul mood and definitely drains my batteries. I'm far happier building or fixing something, or getting lost in another world through some form of media.
But I also dont get total isolation. I work 40+ hours a week and I do have a better half.
Solitary confinement is considered cruel and inhumane when used on someone for more than brief periods. Consider that.
No.
You can be a pretty introverted person and still flourish. But being completely isolated from other humans will fuck you up
it's impossible because humans are inherently social creatures. if you reduce it down to just one individual you get a dysfunctional human - you need multiple of them for a healthy individual
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;52090679]it's impossible because humans are inherently social creatures. if you reduce it down to just one individual you get a dysfunctional human - you need multiple of them for a healthy individual[/QUOTE]
you don't multiple actually, all I need is you
We already know from hundreds of years of institutional instances that the definitive absolute answer is no, except in extremely rare cases wherein the person wasn't typical to begin with.
[img]http://collectivepsyche.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/agafia-lykov.jpg[/img]
Agafia Lykov, very interesting individual.
She was born in the Taiga in the 40's to a family of Old Believers fleeing Stalin's persecution. After the last of her family died in the 80's (many succumbing to contact illness with geologists) she went at it alone for many years, although some of them were spent with one of the geologists. Can it be done? Absolutely, but the question is for how long? Even Agafia hasn't spent all of her years alone, and even penned a request for assistance in 2014 which is actually quite moving:
"Our Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. This is the letter of Agafia Lykova to brothers and sisters. I wish that God grants you all good health but, first and foremost, salvation of your souls and all kinds of well-being. Another thing I must tell you, my fathers and brothers and sisters in God, is that I live alone, I’m an orphan, my health is waning. My age is advanced. I need a person to help me. Please, don’t leave me, for Christ’s sake, I’m a humble orphan in need. There are still kind Christian people and old believers out there.
June 21st, 7522 since Adam"
Vice, RT, and many others have documented her lifestyle, and I'd recommend giving the videos a watch on Youtube; they provide a very interesting perspective.
To my knowledge, she's gotten a fair amount of assistance since she has written the open letter, and is visited by many. First and foremost there is the issue of physical well-being in self sufficiency (particularly in old age), and this is to say nothing of mental or emotional well-being.
I think it is possible for a person to be fine and even happy without any major relationships but it has to be a pretty particular kind of person. But in total isolation, definitely not.
