ENJOYING SOLITUDE AND OTHER PEOPLE ■ 1 69swer is that keeping order in the mind from within is very difficult. We
need external goals, external stimulation, external feedback to keep
attention directed. And when external input is lacking, attention begins
to wander, and thoughts become chaotic—resulting in the state we have
called “psychic entropy” in chapter 2.
When left alone, the typical teenager begins to wonder: “What is
my girlfriend doing now? Am I getting zits? Will I get to finish the math
assignment on time? Are those dudes I had a fight with yesterday going
to beat me up?” In other words, with nothing to do, the mind is unable
to prevent negative thoughts from elbowing their way to center stage.
And unless one learns to control consciousness, the same situation
confronts adults. Worries about one’s love life, health, investments,
family, and job are always hovering at the periphery of attention, waiting
until there is nothing pressing that demands concentration. As soon as
the mind is ready to relax, zap! the potential problems that were waiting
in the wings take over.
It is for this reason that television proves such a boon to so many
people. Although watching TV is far from being a positive experience—
generally people report feeling passive, weak, rather irritable, and sad
when doing it—at least the flickering screen brings a certain amount of
order to consciousness. The predictable plots, familiar characters, and
even the redundant commercials provide a reassuring pattern of stimula
tion. The screen invites attention to itself as a manageable, restricted
aspect of the environment. While interacting with television, the mind
is protected from personal worries. The information passing across the
screen keeps unpleasant concerns out of the mind. Of course, avoiding
depression this way is rather spendthrift, because one expends a great
deal of attention without having much to show for it afterward.
More drastic ways of coping with the dread of solitude include the
regular use of drugs, or the recourse to obsessive practices, which may
range from cleaning the house incessantly to compulsive sexual behav
ior. While under the influence of chemicals, the self is relieved from the
responsibility of directing its psychic energy; we can sit back and watch
the patterns of thought that the drug is providing for—whatever hap
pens, it’s out of our hands. And like television, the drug keeps the mind
from having to face depressing thoughts. While alcohol and other drugs
are capable of producing optimal experiences, they are usually at a very
low level of complexity. Unless consumed in highly skilled ritual con
texts, as is practiced in many traditional societies, what drugs in fact do
is reduce our perception of both what can be accomplished and what we
as individuals are able to accomplish, until the two are in balance. This