One must work in solitude as a man who opens a clearing in virgin forest, sustained by the unique hope that somewhere in its depths, others are working to the same end.
Ernst JüngerWhen nothing in society deserves respect, we should fashion for ourselves in solitude new silent loyalties.
Nicolás Gómez DávilaEach man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something moulded.1
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and StarsAn old alchemist gave the following consolation to one of his disciples: No matter how isolated you are and how lonely you feel, if you do your work truly and conscientiously, unknown friends will come and seek you.
Carl Gustav JungIf for company you cannot find a wise and prudent friend who leads a good life, then, like a king who leaves behind a conquered kingdom, or like a lone elephant in the elephant forest, you should go your way alone. Better it is to live alone; there is no fellowship with a fool. Live alone and do no evil; be carefree like an elephant in the elephant forest.
The Dhammapada
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Saint-Exupéry didn’t just write about adventure he lived it: he flew for the air mail in an open-cockpit biplane over the Sahara, and was killed while flying a reconnaisance mission during WWII. ↩