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Get Your Hermit Permit
May. 25th, 2019 09:11 am Alone, Not Lonely: On Modern Hermits - Modern Farmer
While being a hermit has its obvious spiritual roots, I believe it's also something that certain types of people are drawn to. And there's a big difference between hermits (hermiting? Is that a word? It is now.) and the anti-social. Your misogynistic basement-dwellers and Ted Kaczynski types. I believe it was Thomas Merton - a man who ought to know a thing or two about it - who said that anyone who goes into the wilderness merely to escape society will find him- or herself keeping company with an army of demons. So there's a gap between "I need to be alone in order to flourish" and "I hate people."
And as much as I like to put on my Grumpy Raven persona, I don't really hate people that much. I find that my threshold for being out and about, around people, talking and interacting, is much, much lower than what most peoples' seems to be. I'm not sure how deep introversion influences the ability to thrive as a hermit, but it would obviously be much harder if you're the gregarious type. For me, being around people even in the most ideal and pleasant of circumstances can be incredibly exhausting. It's rare to find people who aren't draining - Fox is one. I think and hope I am also one - I'd hate to think I am a drain on others. But even doing fun things can really take a lot out of me emotionally, sometimes even physically. My battery gets run all the way down and it takes a longer time to recharge.
In non-hermit news, I forgot to buy raw cashews so I am not making that matcha peppermint cake-thing today. But since I have a sweet potato I make make a pan of scones. The joke around here is that "it's vegan so it's practically a salad." Yes I'm aware that vegan junk food is just as much junk food as regular junk food, LOL. But I prefer to, when I am going to eat sweets and baked treats, to make my own.
While being a hermit has its obvious spiritual roots, I believe it's also something that certain types of people are drawn to. And there's a big difference between hermits (hermiting? Is that a word? It is now.) and the anti-social. Your misogynistic basement-dwellers and Ted Kaczynski types. I believe it was Thomas Merton - a man who ought to know a thing or two about it - who said that anyone who goes into the wilderness merely to escape society will find him- or herself keeping company with an army of demons. So there's a gap between "I need to be alone in order to flourish" and "I hate people."
And as much as I like to put on my Grumpy Raven persona, I don't really hate people that much. I find that my threshold for being out and about, around people, talking and interacting, is much, much lower than what most peoples' seems to be. I'm not sure how deep introversion influences the ability to thrive as a hermit, but it would obviously be much harder if you're the gregarious type. For me, being around people even in the most ideal and pleasant of circumstances can be incredibly exhausting. It's rare to find people who aren't draining - Fox is one. I think and hope I am also one - I'd hate to think I am a drain on others. But even doing fun things can really take a lot out of me emotionally, sometimes even physically. My battery gets run all the way down and it takes a longer time to recharge.
In non-hermit news, I forgot to buy raw cashews so I am not making that matcha peppermint cake-thing today. But since I have a sweet potato I make make a pan of scones. The joke around here is that "it's vegan so it's practically a salad." Yes I'm aware that vegan junk food is just as much junk food as regular junk food, LOL. But I prefer to, when I am going to eat sweets and baked treats, to make my own.
