Koch, a foremost writer on solitude, argues that the quality of this experience is a reflective, highly present state that is freely chosen. Several writers identify the “virtues” of solitude in everyday life. The following is a brief summary of their work that can give us insights into solitude in these difficult times.

Freedom refers to physical movement, thought, and imagination free from social constraints, the “letting-go,” disinhibition, and sense of abandonment in the absence of others. Those moments when we sing or dance without being self-conscious. Brief, spontaneous joy.

Attunement to self or “self-formation”: reclaiming one’s voice; recollecting a sense of self, the deeper and authentic self. It is often in the quiet that we reclaim our moral good and glimpse deeply into our personhood.

Attunement to nature: extraordinary connection to the natural world. For example, moments when we are moved by nature’s grandeur and we experience a sense of awe, mystery, and smallness. It is an ego-less state, often spiritual for some. In his book, “Last Child in the Woods,” the author speaks about nature deficit disorder, which is not only about the disassociation and diminishment of children’s links to nature, but also their incapacity to fuse with nature, experience wonder, and be still.

Reflective perspective: reflective life-assessments; lingering over our memories and past experiences. Contemplation allows those moments for epiphanies, the “ah-ha!” moments and for creative insights, original thought, and the synthesis of ideas.