Nearly everybody I know does something to try to remove herself

"Nearly everybody I know does something to try to remove herself to clear her head and to have enough time and space to think... All of us instinctively feel that something inside us is crying out for more spaciousness and stillness to offset the exhilarations of this movement and the fun and diversion of the modern world." These profound words by Pico Iyer echo a deep and timeless truth about the human condition: that in a world filled with movement, distraction, and noise, we crave stillness and space to find peace and clarity. In an age where we are constantly moving, constantly stimulated, there is an innate need within each of us for a retreat into solitude, where we can reconnect with our inner selves. Iyer captures this essential tension—the struggle between the exhilarations of modern life and the soul’s need for stillness.

In the ancient world, philosophers such as Socrates and Buddha understood this need for quiet reflection. Socrates often retreated into moments of silence, not to avoid the world, but to deepen his understanding of it. For him, self-examination and wisdom required stillness, a moment where one could clear the mind and engage deeply with the truth. Similarly, Buddha preached the importance of meditation—the act of stilling the mind and cultivating an inner peace free from the distractions of the external world. In Buddhism, the desire for stillness is a path to enlightenment, a way of quieting the chatter of the mind to touch something deeper, something more authentic.

Consider the story of Diogenes, the ancient Greek philosopher known for his ascetic lifestyle. Diogenes lived in a barrel, rejecting the comforts and distractions of society in favor of a life of simplicity and reflection. His choice to seek stillness in the face of a bustling world was an extreme example, but it revealed a core truth: to know oneself and the world, one must first retreat from the chaos. In this same vein, Iyer reminds us that stillness is not a luxury but a necessity for the soul—one that allows us to step back from the noise and reawaken our inner wisdom.

In modern times, we see the same need for space and solitude. The technological age, with its ceaseless emails, social media, and endless distractions, has created a world where we are constantly connected but rarely at peace. We are like travelers caught in a storm, rushing from one place to another without ever stopping to notice the calm that might be waiting within. People today are no different from the ancients in their need for quietude. From writers like Virginia Woolf, who sought solitude to focus her thoughts, to artists like Henry David Thoreau, who retreated to Walden Pond for a life of reflection and simplicity, the call for stillness remains a timeless impulse—a search for balance amidst the chaos.

The story of Thoreau, living in solitude at Walden Pond, is a powerful example of how the retreat into stillness allows the mind to reconnect with the natural world and the self. Thoreau wrote that he wanted to live deliberately, to suck the marrow out of life, but he knew that to do so, he needed to step away from the distractions of society. In the quiet of the forest, Thoreau could hear the whispers of nature, the voice of his own thoughts, and the truth that came when the noise of the world was silenced. Iyer’s reflection echoes this need—how we instinctively long for spaciousness, to find a place of quiet in which we can understand ourselves and the world around us with greater depth.

There is a great lesson in Iyer’s words—the realization that our inner peace requires effort. It is not a passive state that comes automatically, but one that we must create and protect. In today’s fast-paced world, where movement and distraction often define our lives, we must seek stillness intentionally. Whether it’s through a quiet walk in nature, meditation, or simply turning off our devices for a time, we must create moments of space that allow us to breathe, to reflect, and to recalibrate our inner compass.

The practical lesson for each of us is clear: seek stillness in a world that constantly urges us to be busy. Take time to retreat—whether for a few minutes each day or for a longer period—to reconnect with yourself. In those moments of quiet, you will find the clarity and wisdom that have been drowned out by the noise. Just as the ancient sages and modern thinkers recognized the need for quiet reflection, so too must we embrace the power of stillness to understand ourselves and the world more deeply. It is only in these moments of spaciousness that we can hear the voice of our true selves and find peace amidst the whirlwind of life.