Why can't a person live alone? Can a person live without society? A person who can do without society.

Why can't a person live alone?  Can a person live without society?  A person who can do without society.

As you know, society is
totality historically
established forms of joint
human activities; or is it
isolated from nature, but closely
part associated with it
material world, including
yourself ways of interaction
people and forms of their association.
As can be seen from the definitions, they
themselves laid down the principle that
society consists of people, which means
people are part of society. "But in them
nothing is said about addiction
from human society" - maybe
say any. Yes, and he will be right.
In definitions of reality
nothing is said about the fact that a person
will die without society. But it turns out
that if there is no man, there will be no
society. Right? Society
made up of people's traditions
located in it. And if
consider any society taken
at any time in our history, then
it can be seen that all relationships
regulated within society
certain rules. At the beginning
these were moral standards, now they are
more stringent “documents” – and
precisely by law. And for violation
these norms and laws of man
punished. How?
They tried to isolate the person from
society, went to prison,
sent into exile. After all, already
since ancient times it was clear that man
It's hard to live alone. Exactly
that's why they were always drawn to each other
friend in the primitive world, wife
often went to Siberia for their husbands, yes
and prisons are not made by single-cellers
(although this happens) and
multi-seat. Many people say:
"I can't live among people, I
I love peace and quiet. I find it difficult
communicate with people because I
closed, or because I
I love music/books more than
of people. I would like to understand them." Yes.
Of course, it cannot be denied that
sometimes people find it easier to be alone with
books or music than with people.
BUT did this one ever live?
man completely isolated
from the society of people? Was it with him
ever something that he couldn't
communicate with family and friends
for weeks, or even months? Not
Think. After all, when we say that
we are better off living in technology or
book, we don't think about
with all the depth of these words. After all, I
I'm sure that when he says living alone, he doesn't
thinks he has it on his computer
there are devices for personal
communication, like ICQ or QUIP. Or,
that he has a mother with whom he
will still talk, however
no longer isolating yourself. People,
who have been isolated for a long time
from society, begin to move away from
mind. Isn't it crazy?
a sign of personality degradation, and
does that mean her death? . Good
example when people struggled with
madness in prison
outlined in the book: Henri Charriere
"Papillon" where a person, so as not to
go crazy walked around for days
camera, counting your steps. And in
movie "Sin City"? After all, there
the person was also isolated from
society. But to support
his mind is in a state, he wrote
letters every day to a girl, with
which he had to part with.
And he still had a bright mind. Maybe
maybe a person can live without
society, but his personality will die.
His individuality will die, but
one of the signs of society is
a collection of individuals. Human -
a biosocial being, and without
society to live, develop and
fail as a person
will be able.

Each of us is a member of society, the only difference is in activity: someone willingly participates in the lives of other people, someone avoids them. However, we are all part of one big association, so it is important to find with its other elements mutual language. But too much influence from this system of relationships can harm us and deprive us of our individuality. As a result, we came to the conclusion that it is necessary to find a middle ground between the two extremes of relationship with society. Since this is difficult to do, it often happens that a person finds himself outside of society, that is, he is superfluous in its hierarchy and cannot find a place for himself in it. This collection presents arguments from the literature for the final essay in the direction of “Man and Society,” illustrating examples when a person is alienated from his circle and breaks all ties with it.

  1. In Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" the hero becomes disillusioned with Famus's society and intends to break off relations with him. Alexander Andreevich, although he is a full member of this chosen circle by birthright, does not find understanding in him. His value system is fundamentally different from what the Skalozubs, Repetilovs and Molchalins worship. For example, he does not want to serve, that is, to achieve career heights through hypocrisy and sycophancy. He is also not satisfied with the conservatism of the Moscow elite, which does not shy away from cruel treatment of peasants and meanness in the service, but is afraid of positive changes and progressive views. Thus, Chatsky was faced with a choice between remaining faithful to his ideals and communicating with a vicious society. He chose to live outside his circle to protect himself from its harmful influence.
  2. In Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace, Andrei Bolkonsky flees from the noble salons to the battlefield, just so as not to hear any more hypocritical speeches and idle chatter. The effeminacy and aimlessness of the lives of people from his social circle are alien to him. The hero is bored even with his wife, who shares their way of thinking. He did not find a common language with his surroundings due to the fact that his father raised him differently. Bolkonsky Sr. was a stern and efficient person who did not tolerate idle talk. He was rarely known for his hospitality and did not visit guests himself. But he worked hard and devoted time to raising his children. Thus, we can conclude that the rejection of traditional public values originates in the family, where the personality was formed under other influences.
  3. In Sholokhov's epic novel Quiet Don, Grigory goes against the conventions of his community. The Cossacks always had family ties as a priority: children obeyed their parents, younger ones obeyed their elders, wives were faithful to their husbands, husbands to their wives, etc. They all worked on the land, and family unity was the key to survival, because so much work could not be done by one person. So, Melekhov violated centuries-old traditions by refusing to live according to his father’s will: he cheated on his wife with a married woman, and after a series of scandals he left the village altogether, leaving the family. All this happened because the hero was an independent and freedom-loving person with an extraordinary mind. He realized that the traditions of his grandfathers and fathers could be wrong or unfair. He also doubted his father’s authority and society’s right to condemn his choice. Of course, the hero made many mistakes, but one cannot deny him the opportunity to achieve personal happiness without the gossip and opinions of the crowd. Here is an example of how an individual can rebel against society and very successfully.
  4. We can see an example of an extra person in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” Pechorin, with his individuality, found himself outside of society with its limitations and mediocrity. He did not want to try on any of the popular social roles, so I was always looking for opportunities to become an exception to the rule. So, he plays with the destinies of other people, putting himself in atypical circumstances, having fun. Either he convinces himself of his love for Bela, then he plays courtship in front of Marie, then he sets off after Ondine. In pursuit of new experiences, he ignores the moral standards and interests of his fellow travelers, becoming dangerous to society. Gregory's exceptionalism was aimed not at creation, but at destruction, destructive, immoral, frightening. His rebellion against his environment was senseless and without mercy, but for what? He was still unhappy and sick with his alienation. In this case, society could teach a person a lot, save him, if he listened to the voice from the outside. He didn’t listen, so not a single person from one circle or another could help Grigory, be it Bela, Maxim Maksimych or Dr. Werner.
  5. In Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita" main character was forcibly separated from society. It cannot be said that the Master was an ardent oppositionist and somehow criticized the political system, but he was not understood, and, therefore, not accepted. Critics humiliated the author and his work, editors refused to publish, a neighbor wrote a denunciation, and it all ended with imprisonment in a mental hospital. All the world, except for one single Margot, turned his back to the hero. However, in the process of reading, we understand that this persecution was necessary for a real artist so that he would not become as mediocre and tame as the graphomaniacs on chains in power who slandered him. Therefore, in this case, a person had to be outside of society in order to understand his true purpose.
  6. In Lermontov's poem "Mtsyri" the hero was captured and languished in prison far from his homeland. The dissolution of family ties with the society of which he was a member by birthright deeply wounded his soul, depriving it of peace and happiness. The young man was homesick, for the people who were close to him. He did not want the loneliness to which he was doomed. And not in vain, because we understand how much Mtsyri could do for his country. It was there that he could realize his potential and warm someone with the fire of his heart. From this example we can conclude that alienation from society is not always liberation from evil or the ultimate dream of a talented person. It may also be the tragedy of a prisoner who is tenderly attached to kindred spirits outside the prison where he is imprisoned.
  7. In Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons, Bazarov is an extra person. He does not find a place for himself in the existing class system. Therefore, he demonstratively despises the nobles and reaches out to the people, in whom he sees more of his characteristic traits. However, he is hopelessly far from the common people, because his education and categorical nature are not understandable to the ignorant and conservative peasants. So he finds himself outside of society with his progressive ideas and scientific thinking. Loneliness and alienation torment him, but this is revealed only at the end of the novel, when he lies on his deathbed and laments his restlessness. Thus, isolation from people does not make a person happy; on the contrary, it often brings suffering.
  8. In Bunin's story "Mr. from San Francisco", the hero deliberately alienates himself from society, because arrogance does not allow him to be on the same wavelength with those around him. He measures everyone by the size of their wallet, and does not notice those whose wealth is less than his. To him, they are just service personnel, not worthy of attention. It seemed that such a stratification of society was natural, the rich and the poor would not find a common language, but the author, in the symbolic name of the ship (“Atlantis”), hints that such a “natural” way of life leads us all to disaster. This is how it turns out in the finale: the gentleman dies, and his body, which no longer promises a tip, is put away in a soda box. The moral catastrophe that has already occurred is obvious, which has led all passengers to general indifference towards each other. No one expressed regret, no one stopped the fun and dancing, although nearby lay the corpse of the one who had been so thoroughly pleased just recently. This example shows that the conflict between the individual and society is not always beautiful and romantic. In real life, it can lead to tragedy for all participants.
  9. In Bulgakov's story “Heart of a Dog,” the professor is outside society, since he is a representative of the intelligentsia in the country of the victorious proletariat. The majority of people, due to propaganda from above, hate his “bourgeois” way of life and do not understand his values. Preobrazhensky, in their opinion, occupies an undeservedly large amount of space in the house and enjoys unaffordable luxury, inaccessible ordinary people. Shvonder and others like him do not recognize the merits of the scientist. They are ready to tear the hero to pieces out of envy of his intelligence and position. But Philip Philipovich does not give in to provocations. He manages to abstract himself from the majority and preserve the best qualities of the past: spirituality, nobility, erudition. Against the backdrop of a rude and vulgar crowd, the professor looks like Gulliver among the Lilliputians. Society will never be able to see the scale of such a brilliant personality up close; this takes centuries.
  10. In Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment, a person goes against society. He belittles him in his eyes, calling himself a judge and “having the right.” The hero literally becomes ill with the idea of ​​his superiority and, in a fit of “justice,” destroys two lives. The reason for this spiritual ill-health and subsequent events is the fact that Raskolnikov dropped out of society for some time: he was expelled from the university, abandoned part-time work, and was far from his family. Lack of communication and understanding led him to a mental state that only people could dispel. Finding understanding in the person of Sonya, Rodion recovers and returns to the society from which he excluded himself. Gradually he realizes that love for others is the true calling of any soul.
  11. Interesting? Save it on your wall!

Outside of society? This is a fairly important topic that will allow you to take a broader look at the problems of the individual and society.

Issues

Let's begin our consideration of this topic with the fact that every individual person is, in any case, it doesn't matter whether he admits it or not, whether he wants it or not. The difference between people lies in how actively they participate in public life. Someone actively takes part in this area and feels like an important participant in the process. Someone, on the contrary, shuns everything, wanting to remain in the shadows and not leave their cocoon. This question is quite relevant in the modern world, and it is definitely acute.

It should be noted that people in society today are divided into two groups, standing at different poles:

  • The first group are those who are always craving attention and recognition.
  • The second group are those who want to remain in the shadows as often as possible. They love a quiet and private life. Most often, however, these can be active, cheerful and joyful people. But they are like this only in their select circle of trusted people. In a new team or simply in the company of 2-3 new people, such individuals remain silent and withdraw into themselves.

It is impossible to say which of the above is bad and which is good. What is certain is that extremes are always bad. You shouldn't be a completely closed person or too open. A person should always have some kind of personal space to which no one has access.

System

We must understand that a person is unthinkable outside of society. Despite this, purely physically, he can survive alone. However, in this case he will lose his humanity and a certain level of development. Such cases are repeated in the history of mankind. We will talk about them in more detail below.

All people are part of society, so they must be able to find a common language with each other and negotiate. However, too much exposure to the influence of this system ultimately leads to the loss of one’s individuality. Very often a person is unthinkable outside of society, since he sets certain limiting boundaries for himself. In this case, he either falls out of the system or becomes dependent on it.

Can a person exist outside of society? Yes, but with difficulty. By falling out of the system of social relations, a person simply loses his bearings in life. He considers himself trash and often seeks death. It’s a completely different matter when a person is unhappy with the established system of relationships and wants to break out of it. In this case, a person feels liberated after breaking all ties. Over time, he forms a certain circle around him that shares his interests.

Through the centuries

At the same time, we must understand that in history the excommunication of a person from society has always been a harsh punishment. We also understand that if a person can live without other people, then society cannot live without individuals. People often say that they like to be alone with themselves. They do better with books, technology, nature. But such people do not always understand the importance and depth of their words.

The fact is that without society at all, a person feels normal only if he leaves it consciously and feels the strength to create a new environment. If excommunication occurs by force or as a result of some kind of guilt, then it is very difficult to survive such a situation. Not everyone is able to withstand this, so depression or an obsessive desire for suicide begins.

Conflict

A conflict between society and a person arises when a person does not want to obey or accept certain norms. Man is a social being, therefore, under equal conditions, he needs other people. By communicating, we gain new experience, solve our internal problems, by projecting them onto others. And the main importance of all the people around us is that they solve our problems, and we solve theirs. Only in the process of interaction can all this be understood and felt. Analysis and psychoanalysis are possible only on the basis of some experience. By itself, it does not carry anything.

Conflict in society occurs very often. However, it has a certain character that does not allow one to go beyond the established framework. A person can solve this problem in different ways. In fact, no one can forbid us to go to another country, change our minds, or transform the society around us.

In literature

We can observe the development of man outside society in many examples in the literature. This is where you can trace internal changes in personality, his difficulties and successes. An example of a person outside of society can be taken in the work of M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”.

Note that Grigory Pechorin enters into conflict. He feels that society consciously lives by fake and fake rules. At first, he doesn’t want to get close to someone at all, doesn’t believe in friendship and love, considering it all a farce and satisfying his own whims. But at the same time, Pechorin, without noticing it, begins to get closer to Dr. Werner and even falls in love with Mary.

He deliberately pushes away those who are drawn to him, and to whom he reciprocates. His justification is the thirst for freedom. This pathetic man He doesn’t even understand that he needs people much more than they need him. As a result, he dies without understanding the meaning of his existence. Pechorin's trouble is that he was too carried away by the rules of society and closed his heart. And you should have listened to him. It would find the right path.

People who grew up outside of society

Most often these are children who grew up in wild conditions. WITH early years they were isolated and did not receive human warmth and care. They can be raised by animals or simply exist in isolation. Such people are very valuable to researchers. It has been proven that if children had some social experience before going wild, then their rehabilitation will be much easier. But those who lived in the company of animals from 3 to 6 years will practically not be able to learn human language, walk upright and communicate.

Even living the next years among people, Mowgli cannot get used to the whole world around them. Moreover, there are frequent cases when such people escape to their original living conditions. Scientists say that this only once again confirms the fact that the first years of his life are incredibly important for a person.

So, can a person exist outside of society? A difficult question, the answer to which is different in each case. We note that everything depends on the specific conditions and circumstances, as well as on how the person feels about his isolation. So can a person exist outside of society?..

Ten amazing stories about people who abandoned all the benefits of civilization and began to live away from everyone, in harmony with nature.

Son and father from Vietnam who fled during the war and were found 40 years later

During the Vietnam War, a man named Ho Van Thanh lived in a village called Tra Kem with his wife and three sons. As the conflict between US and Vietnamese soldiers escalated, Thanh became increasingly concerned for his family's safety. Then one day he was horrified to see his wife and two sons killed in a mine explosion.

In a panic, the forty-two-year-old man grabbed his remaining son, two-year-old Ho Van Lang, and ran into the jungle to hide. Never realizing that the war was over, father and son hid in the jungle for the next forty years.

In August 2013, workers from a nearby village noticed men wearing loincloths made from tree bark and notified authorities. After five hours of searching, a now 80-year-old and a 41-year-old man were found. The old man still remembered a little local dialect, so he was able to report what happened to their family many years ago. He also told them that he and his son survived by growing corn and picking fruits and vegetables. They built an elaborate tree house and lived in it. The photo above shows their home.

They have both undergone medical examination and treatment, and are trying to integrate into modern society.

A man hid in the woods of Maine for 27 years.

For nearly thirty years, residents of North Pond in central Maine told stories of a hermit who lived in the woods and sometimes robbed nearby homes and camps for food and supplies. These stories have become a legend, a fairy tale for modern times.

The legend became reality when in April 2013, a state game warden caught the North Pond Hermit stealing. Forty-seven-year-old Christopher Knight was caught red-handed stealing food while relaxing at a lakeside campsite. His capture ended his twenty-seven-year recluse, and confirmed the rumors about him once and for all. Although Knight has apologized for the theft, authorities believe he may be responsible for at least a thousand thefts he committed over the years.

At a court hearing in August 2013, Knight pleaded not guilty to charges of seven burglaries and six thefts. He says he went into the forest at age nineteen, and during that time he only spoke to one person, a hiker he came across sometime in the 90s. Knight claims that he maintained his intellectual development by reading books that he stole from houses.

A Russian family hid in the forests of Siberia for 40 years.

In 1978, Russian geologists went to a remote location located in wildlife Siberia, but instead of finding precious minerals, they discovered a family of six who had lived there undetected for forty years.

Karp Lykov and his family were Old Believers, members of a fundamentalist Russian Orthodox sect that was persecuted under the Soviet Union. During the Bolshevik Revolution, many Old Believer communities fled to Siberia to escape religious persecution, and the Lykovs were among them. In 1936, a communist patrol shot Lykov's brother right in front of him, so he took his wife and two young children and ran away with them into the forest.

Taking with them only the most necessary equipment and some seeds, they gradually moved further and further away from society until they stopped about 160 kilometers from the border with Mongolia. The couple had two more children, and the family of six lived off what they could grow and by collecting berries and roots. They often went hungry, and began to set traps and, accordingly, add meat to their diet only when their son reached adulthood and learned to make traps. However, they were severely short of food, and the mother of the family died of starvation in 1961, giving her share of food to the children.




The family had no idea about events such as the landing of man on the moon or that the Second World War had taken place. World War. They were fascinated by such little things as cellophane packaging. Over time, the younger children developed a strange dialect that outsiders had difficulty recognizing as Russian. After the geologists made contact with them, the family slowly began to trust them, but being deeply religious, they always refused to leave their isolated home. Eventually, they began to accept small gifts of salt and other precious foodstuffs that they had lived without for so many years.

Just a few years after contact was made, three of the four children died of kidney failure due to complications caused by their years of malnutrition. One son died of pneumonia after violently refusing medical care, saying: “A person lives as long as God has given him.”

The father of the family died in 1988. Agafya Lykova, the last remaining member of the family, continues to live there alone. She never went beyond her household.

Japanese soldier refused to believe the war was over

In 1944, the Japanese Army sent Lieutenant Hiro Onoda and several other units to the sparsely populated Philippine island of Lubang to conduct guerrilla warfare During the Second World War. Although the war ended soon after, Onoda and his compatriots on the island were never officially told, so they continued to remain on the island and fight the locals for the next thirty years.

Onoda continued to live in the jungle for decades, subsisting on coconuts and bananas. In October 1945, the Japanese government tried to notify soldiers who were hiding in the remote jungle that the war was over, but Onoda and his compatriots decided that the newspapers and leaflets dropped by planes were propaganda. allied forces. The men studied every word of the leaflet carefully, but decided that they would not surrender until their commander ordered them to do so. Several teams were sent to search for them, but no one was able to find them.

Over the years, all the other men died, and the remaining soldier except Onoda decided to give up and sneaked out of their camp. Onoda lived alone for another twenty years, becoming a legend among Japanese and Filipino nationalists who believed he was dead. In 1974, a tourist found Onoda and tried to convince him that the war was truly over, but the Onodas stubbornly refused to believe him.

The tourist, Norio Suzuki, left the island and arranged a meeting between Onodo and his now retired commander. When Onodo learned the truth, he was incredibly shocked. He was hailed as a hero in Japan, and was pardoned for the murders and injuries of Filipinos he committed while living on the island for all these years. After reintegrating into society, Onoda decided that he preferred a simple, solitary lifestyle. He moved to Brazil and lived on a ranch, visiting his island one more time in 1996.

A man, the last of his tribe, lives alone in the Brazilian tropical forests

Nearly twenty years ago, Brazilian officials discovered an Indian, probably the last of an uncontacted tribe. He lived alone in the Brazilian rainforest. Officials spent a long time deciding what to do with the man. Their attempts to establish peaceful contact did not go well, and the man shot one of the rescuers in the chest with an arrow. Previous attempts to integrate members of tribes into modern civilization also ended disastrously: people who lived their entire lives in isolation usually died soon after they were integrated into society.

Seeing the deforestation and industrialization coming to the area around the lone man's habitat, government officials determined that no attempts at industrialization or deforestation should be made within a 48 kilometer radius of the Indian's habitat. The man still leads the loneliest existence known on Earth.

A man lived happily alone for 30 years in a remote cabin in Alaska.

After a long career in the Navy and as a diesel mechanic, Richard Proenneke has chosen a rather unique style for his retirement life. He built a house high in the mountains of Alaska, in a place called Twin Lakes, where he lived alone for almost thirty years, eating pasture.

During his reclusive retirement, Proenneke ventured across the forty-eight states several times to see his family, but for the most part, he spent his time alone in the remote Alaskan wilderness. He hunted, fished, and studied nature with the keen eye of a born scientist.

Proenneke recorded his solitary life on film, which was later edited and turned into a series documentaries PBS, entitled Alone in the Wilderness. His notes were also adapted into several books, and he made several valuable records of the meteorological and natural data of the area of ​​Alaska where he resided.

Lonely woman from San Nicolas Island

In 1835, California authorities decreed that all Indians were to be removed from tiny San Nicolas Island, the most remote of the Channel Islands. Located about 85 kilometers west of the coast of Los Angeles, the island suffered from wars between Indian tribes. During the evacuation, one woman refused to leave the island because, as she claimed, her Small child missing. She disappeared from view and was not seen again for almost twenty years.

In 1853, a hunting expedition came across the same woman. She never found her child and spoke a language no one had heard before, but she charmed everyone who saw her with her wide smile and cheerful disposition. The hunters brought her to the mainland, and she was shocked and delighted modern world. Unfortunately, she lived only seven weeks after her reintegration into society, dying of dysentery.

Independent researcher goes missing after spending five years alone

Everett Ruess was born in 1914, but no one knows when he died because he spent his entire life alone. Ruess was an artist, poet and writer who explored nature on foot and horseback for many years, spending most of his time in the High Sierra, on the California coast, and in the deserts of the American southwest. He disappeared in the late 1930s, when he was only twenty years old, while traveling through a remote area of ​​Utah.

Ruess was one of the first Americans to come into contact with and live among the Native Americans. During his travels, he explored cliff dwellings and traded his artwork for food and other supplies. He never spent more than a day or two in the company of people, preferring to be alone. He kept diaries, which were later turned into books telling about his unusual image life and lack of desire to be part of any formal civilization.

His death remains a mystery to this day. Some people think he died accidental death from falling or drowning, others suspect violent death. His strange lifestyle and mysterious disappearance turned him into folk hero among naturalists and historians.

Christopher McCandless went into the wild

After graduating with honors from Emory University in 1990, Christopher McCandless donated the remaining $24,000 in his account to charity, freed himself from family ties and all his possessions, and set off on a cross-country adventure. Calling himself Alexander Supertramp, McCandless traveled without money and without much contact with outside world. He arrived at his destination Fairbanks, Alaska, on April 28, 1992.

Just four months later, McCandless' frail body was found in an abandoned Fairbanks bus on the Stampede Trail. Weighing 30 kilograms, he died of starvation and poisoning poisonous mushrooms. Author Jon Krakaeur wrote an award-winning book about McCandless's tragic departure from civilization. The book, called Into The Wild, was later adapted into a film starring Emil Hirsch.

Christopher McCandless is a controversial figure. While many people feel sympathy for this young man, who wanted to live a solitary life, others criticize his unpreparedness and lack of basic knowledge in survival techniques.

A woman who prefers to live “outside the system” lives in a “hobbit house”

In 1995, a small group of people bought a large plot of land in Wales with the intention of turning it into a commune. For years they lived peacefully “outside the system” until the government intervened and questioned their legal ownership of the land. A legal battle ensued that lasted a decade, but in the end it was determined that they did indeed own the land and had every right to live there.

One of these survivalists was Emma Orbach, an Oxford University graduate who now lives in a hobbit-style hut she built for herself. Orbach divorced her husband, who was also a prepper, and now lives alone in a round house she built herself. She grows her own food, produces her own electricity, and takes pride in living free of the pressures of society's rules. Orbach raises his own farm animals, gets water from a stream, and occasionally goes to nearby stores to afford treats like chocolate.

“This is how I want to live,” Orbach says. “This lifestyle makes me very happy and brings me peace, this is my ideal home.”





Tags:

Personality and society - perhaps none of the other topics has caused so much debate and has not become the subject of so many works by outstanding minds of mankind. Is an individual capable of living outside of society - one of the most relevant issues in all historical times questions.

Since ancient times, many peoples have had very interesting rituals associated with the initiation of growing up. Some of their details may seem to modern man wild and even creepy. For example, long-term separation from the community was assumed (symbolizing placement in a certain sacred environment in which new knowledge was supposed to be acquired), often accompanied by additional prohibitions - a taboo on talking, the requirement to be in complete darkness, etc.

Moreover, such “disgrace” could continue for quite a considerable period of time - from a week to a year. Among other effects, such forced isolation gave rise to a literally inextinguishable thirst for communication in those who went through it. Having lost access to this simple everyday pastime, people literally languished from the inability to satisfy one of the most important needs - communication.

This example is further proof of the thesis that man is unthinkable without society. Not only the extrovert (who can go crazy from utter loneliness), but also the most complete introvert.

This kind of torment was experienced, in particular, by Dr. Robert Neville, Will Smith’s character in the film “I Am Legend.” Remaining in a metropolis dying from a terrible virus, at night flooded with half-zombie, half-vampire creatures generated by this infection ( former people, who received their status as evil spirits as by-effect from a new anti-cancer drug), and during the day, teeming with wild animals wandering from the surrounding forests, he tries to find his own kind (if at least one of them managed to survive the grandiose biological catastrophe).

So as not to go crazy from the absence social environment, Dr. Neville, in desperation, invents some semblance of communication. At a video rental point, for example, he sets up figures of people he was used to meeting there in the “pre-virus” time, and speaks to them, imitating normal communication.

Such a craving for basic communication among representatives of humanity in forced isolation is not surprising. It was the continuous exchange of information that brought people to that high level - especially in comparison with the times ancient history- the stage of development at which they are now, without interrupting their further progress towards progress.

By interacting with others like themselves, cooperating with them, voluntarily or involuntarily undergoing training in what others know and possess, a specific representative of the human race not only grows in personal terms. He is also developing as a professional, as someone who knows how to work for the benefit of others, and to feel like one of the creators of something valuable and significant.

Through such interchange with the help of communicative means, the return of accumulated experience is carried out and the so-called continuity of generations, important for the survival and increase of global human achievements, is carried out. In other words, young members of society absorb the knowledge accumulated by their ancestors, gradually adding to it something of their own, recently discovered and realized, harmoniously complementing - and at the same time refuting in some nuances - previous knowledge.

Psychologists from all over the planet have long come to the conclusion: homo sapiens is a biosocial being, and for the fullest feeling of happiness, harmony and well-being, he urgently needs the awareness that he is not alone. Moreover, support is important not only from loved ones and relatives, but also from strangers (which was confirmed by some experiments - in particular, from Argentine scientists). Therefore, the question of whether a person can live without society hardly, by and large, allows for a positive answer.

Outside of society, a person finds himself in a kind of information vacuum, deprived of the most important assessment tools that help determine the value and real importance of his achievements. Growing up in society, an individual also absorbs acceptable moral and ethical guidelines, understanding already during his childhood that outside these generally accepted norms, violating them is unlikely to result in full interaction with others.

In addition, such restrictive social frameworks also provide a feeling of safety, reliability, and even protection. Any member of society can be sure that his ability to survive in such an environment will be many times higher than alone.

Anyone who is deprived of communication with others will not be able to grow into a full-fledged person. The literature says a lot of negative things about what a person without society is. Examples of this include the stories of Robinson Crusoe and Mowgli. By the way, in reality there were many people who grew up among animals. Not one of them was subsequently able to adapt to a full existence among other people.

Thus, outside of society, neither personal, nor spiritual, nor any other development is simply impossible. Thrown out of society, a person will lose guidance in his own progress through life, and it will be easy for him to slide down the path of degradation.



top