Culture, Technology, Leadership, Education, Political Correctness: these are some of the numerous subjects that William Deresiewicz tackles in The End of Solitude. His book of 42 essays spanning over 30 years on topics that will make you think and probably cause you to consider to change your mind, if you are inclined.

Culture

“Culture involves art, literature, philosophy, criticism and religion…Culture also involves the things we do and believe without being aware we are doing or believing them: Myths, metaphors, social terms, unspoken assumptions, the words we use…culture is the inner substance of every day by which we question continually our stock notions and habits.

In politics we ask foundational questions with no real answers — the system is designed this way so people have the right to organize society as they see fit.” Chapter 4 — Culture Against Culture

Technology

Technology can be a gift but it can also be the bane of our society because it abolishes what is most human. Although technology has given us more options it has also created a loss a sense of our self, of our solitude. The fact that we can live farther from our families means we spend less time together. Children are babysat by screens instead of playing and learning with their friends, while social media has stolen our ability for intimacy and privacy. We have lost our ability to concentrate, our ability to be alone or to be quiet with our self, which is vital to a healthy spiritual life, to reading a book or even the art of writing letters. Chapter 1 — The End of Solitude

Leadership

“We have a crisis of leadership in this country, because our overwhelming power and wealth, earned under earlier generations of leaders has made complacent, and for too long we have been training leaders who only know how to keep the routine going. Who can answer questions, but don’t know how to ask them. Who can meet goals, but don’t know how to set them. Who think about how to get things done, not whether they’re worth doing in the first place. What we have now are the greatest technocrats the world has ever seen…What we don’t have are leaders.” Chapter 2 — Solitude of Leadership

We need more:

• Thinkers
• People with vision
• Moral courage
• Concentration – no multi-tasking
• Solitude
• Introspection
• Deep friendships of intimate conversation

Education

“60% of The United States working class of poor are white and will never have a  chance at an elite education.” Chapter 12 — Change Your Mind First: College and the Urge to Save the World

For a long time educators have been leaning more toward science and math and not encouraging liberal arts. We are able to understand pushing students to study law, medicine, science or business but we are not encouraging the creative people to thrive and we need them. Elite schools are known for teaching their brightest and best for excluding people and teaching their students that they are part of the club of elite for life. They will be rich, they will have extensions whenever they need them and they will be set apart in society. Chapter 8 — The Disadvantages of an Elite Education

This explains our politicians…

Political Correctness

Political Correctness is the persistent attempt to suppress the expression of unwelcome beliefs and ideas. But many young people, today, don’t feel they can express themselves because they are afraid of offending or being offensive. Did you know that PC was actually a form of self-mockery, in response to stalinism?

Political Correctness has been used against:

• Nontenured teachers
• Christians
• Zionists (Jews)
• White male athletes
• White students from red states
• Heterosexual, cisgendered, white men from anywhere

Chapter 11 — On Political Correctness

I, personally don’t care for being PC. I like being honest, but compassionate..Maybe that is because I have drastically cut down my use of technology in the last few years…

In Summation…

I would suggest your bring an open mind to this book. In chapter 12 Deresiewicz says:<

“If you don’t know yourself — if you haven’t become visible to yourself — you don’t know the biases with which you know everything else, you also don’t know the motives that move you to action.”

I really enjoyed this book. At times I found myself overwhelmed with the thoughts Deresiewicz’s words invoked in me but I overcame and prevailed. This books is full of essays on social media, content, architecture, dance, painting, poetry, writing, thought, culture, food, politics, academia, and religion. There is bound to be something that makes you think, makes you angry or brings you to peace, or all three.

“A healthy identity for the group as for the individual, is not rigid and immutable, but creative and ever-evolving. That is progress. That is liberation.” Chapter 38 – Birthrights

Thank you to my sister, Jamie Holloway, for loaning me this book. You can get your own copy of The End of Solitude by William Deresiewicz on Amazon.com

Read my Review on Goodreads:

The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society by William Deresiewicz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thought provoking on many topics. Great read.

View all my reviews

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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.

For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.

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Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.

I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.

I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.