hell is isolation

the new yorker has an interesting article about solitary confinement as torture. 

i hadn't really thought about this before. 

some thoughts:

1. i think in general we're all very sympathetic to cases in which children are kept in isolation. it seems all the more painful if children miss the narrow opportunity for development (language, for example. the case of genie comes to mind. or peter stillman in auster's new york trilogy) you're pretty screwed for the rest of your life if you miss out on the chance to develop your ability to use language or interact with others.

but when someone reaches adulthood, you just assume that they're already developed. their personality. social skills. everything is pretty much already formed.  it's much easier to just assume adults can handle the stress of isolation. 

2. there is a famous line in sartre's "no exit." one of the characters exclaims, "l'enfer, c'est les autres" (hell is other people.) this sentiment seems pretty easy to accept. there is a sense that one craves being alone. with nothing but one's thoughts. to see what went wrong and what went right with your life. the only thing that could ruin it would be the prattle of two whiny women for all of eternity. 

3. i also think we (americans in particular i guess) have an idealized vision of solitary life. a whole "i went to the woods because i wished to live deliberately" kind of thing. (although we all know i think thoreau was the ultimate douchebag. um, moving to the backyard and having your mother bring you meals should not make you an important figure in american literary history. ugh. if i could go back in time and punch him in the face, i would.)

so i guess i'm trying to say that in general we see solitude as a good thing. a chance to get your thoughts in order. to see what you're made of. an opportunity to do some soul searching. and as long as you're a fully developed adult, we kind of ignore the psychological risks involved with it.

but it was interesting to see that isolation, even with the promising rewards of tv and reading materials, is still tortuous. as one of the men in the article says, "'i would rather have had the worst companion than no companion at all.'" 

it does sound really awful after all.