Comments on: Is solitude necessary for great work? http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/ A survival guide for the 21st century researcher Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:08:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jackson Frothns http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/comment-page-1/#comment-66535 Jackson Frothns Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:16:54 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/#comment-66535 I find that as a a software engineer I have to be in a place by myself in order to concentrate. Yes, its good to go out to lunches and dinners with my co-workers after work, however, during working hours I tend to take my assignments and go to my "happy place" and work diligently on them till they are completed. Is this the best way to work when my company is going toward a more AGILE collaborative work environment, NO....but I find it still comforting and workable that I'm still able to do this. THis is my my opinion....I'm just a worker bee ;-) I find that as a a software engineer I have to be in a place by myself in order to concentrate. Yes, its good to go out to lunches and dinners with my co-workers after work, however, during working hours I tend to take my assignments and go to my “happy place” and work diligently on them till they are completed. Is this the best way to work when my company is going toward a more AGILE collaborative work environment, NO….but I find it still comforting and workable that I’m still able to do this.

THis is my my opinion….I’m just a worker bee ;-)

]]> By: Michael Vincent http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/comment-page-1/#comment-43593 Michael Vincent Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:17:16 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/#comment-43593 I agree with dot there's a difference in the type of solitude you need to get something done vs creating something. Where one requires just some quite time and the other can be a long search for inspiration. Also I'm finding it harder and harder to focus when working at my computer, I have to force my self to minimize the tons of wonderful distractions like AIM and checking FB every 15 min :) So like you said it may be a lower form of interaction it still serves as an interruption. I agree with dot there’s a difference in the type of solitude you need to get something done vs creating something. Where one requires just some quite time and the other can be a long search for inspiration. Also I’m finding it harder and harder to focus when working at my computer, I have to force my self to minimize the tons of wonderful distractions like AIM and checking FB every 15 min :) So like you said it may be a lower form of interaction it still serves as an interruption.

]]> By: QoTD: Solitude and creativity « Getting Things Done in Academia http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/comment-page-1/#comment-33574 QoTD: Solitude and creativity « Getting Things Done in Academia Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:29:42 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/#comment-33574 [...] h/t Academic Productivity [...] [...] h/t Academic Productivity [...]

]]> By: personal development http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/comment-page-1/#comment-33542 personal development Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:47:06 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/#comment-33542 This seems like a question of balance too - it can be enormously beneficial when creating something like art, music or poetry to be totally alone. Here you're really questioning the balance between being alone all the time and never alone! Most of the great things we do and achieve in our lives we do on our own and there's always the possibility that if you want to be the best at something, you're going to have to dedicate a great deal of your time to it and this will mean spending lots of time on your own. I personally like your solution, but I feel that throughout human history and throughout human future, there will be a small number of people who dedicate virtually all their time to their passion without ever striking a balance like you speak of. Ultimately it's choice. This seems like a question of balance too – it can be enormously beneficial when creating something like art, music or poetry to be totally alone. Here you’re really questioning the balance between being alone all the time and never alone!

Most of the great things we do and achieve in our lives we do on our own and there’s always the possibility that if you want to be the best at something, you’re going to have to dedicate a great deal of your time to it and this will mean spending lots of time on your own.

I personally like your solution, but I feel that throughout human history and throughout human future, there will be a small number of people who dedicate virtually all their time to their passion without ever striking a balance like you speak of. Ultimately it’s choice.

]]> By: Dustin Huibregtse http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/comment-page-1/#comment-33392 Dustin Huibregtse Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:43:23 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/#comment-33392 Lovin' it. My favorite part of that excerpt was "he sublime oration which first stirred the soul of the orator as he tramped in the forest". I have a love for public speaking, and I guess I enjoy knowing that concentration, or focus, is a method of finding what exactly you should say. I do like the versus ideology: loneliness that leads to great productivity vs. the social butterfly. This summer, I have noticed that I have spent so much time working, studying, researching, and learning new things that I have lost focus on my friends and family. I realized I have done that my entire high school career. After a long note on Facebook, I came to my final lesson: "Sometimes you must slow down in order to speed up, but don't forget to have friends next to you, not behind you." So my question for you Jose is whether or not concentrating for too long on one thing can be a bad thing? Is that what happens, you get lonely? Lovin’ it. My favorite part of that excerpt was “he sublime oration which first stirred the soul of the orator as he tramped in the forest”. I have a love for public speaking, and I guess I enjoy knowing that concentration, or focus, is a method of finding what exactly you should say.

I do like the versus ideology: loneliness that leads to great productivity vs. the social butterfly. This summer, I have noticed that I have spent so much time working, studying, researching, and learning new things that I have lost focus on my friends and family. I realized I have done that my entire high school career.

After a long note on Facebook, I came to my final lesson:

“Sometimes you must slow down in order to speed up, but don’t forget to have friends next to you, not behind you.”

So my question for you Jose is whether or not concentrating for too long on one thing can be a bad thing? Is that what happens, you get lonely?

]]> By: DotMG http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/comment-page-1/#comment-32856 DotMG Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:29:49 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2008/is-solitude-necessary-for-great-work/#comment-32856 IMHO, academic productivity can't be compared with artistic creativity. Absolute loneliness benefits to artistic creativity. Sometimes, when academic works need some kind of inspirations, loneliness is a good thing, but when you don't need inspiration at all, or need only a little inspiration, it's better to stay connected. Sometimes, a small piece (with a problem) of the great work you are doing, can be solved instantly when you can call for help. Naturally, sometimes, you also have to stop your work to help someone else, or just to discuss a few moments about something totally different with someone, but I never feel these moments as lost, as they rarely affect my works. IMHO, academic productivity can’t be compared with artistic creativity. Absolute loneliness benefits to artistic creativity. Sometimes, when academic works need some kind of inspirations, loneliness is a good thing, but when you don’t need inspiration at all, or need only a little inspiration, it’s better to stay connected. Sometimes, a small piece (with a problem) of the great work you are doing, can be solved instantly when you can call for help.

Naturally, sometimes, you also have to stop your work to help someone else, or just to discuss a few moments about something totally different with someone, but I never feel these moments as lost, as they rarely affect my works.

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