You should know how to go it alone

A willingness to be alone is vital if you want to learn about yourself, but it can also be one of the hardest things for someone to do.

I’m not just talking about being alone in the physical sense, but also the sense of aloneness and friction that one may feel upon realizing that they possess an unpopular opinion.

In his book The Art Spirit, Robert Henri speaks of this dilemma, “we like sympathy and we like to be in company. It is easier than going it alone. But alone one gets acquainted with himself, grows up and on, not stopping with the crowd.”

Flourishing as an individual, as a team, or as an institution isn’t just about finding common ground and collaboration.

It’s also about being willing to think independently of one another and to stand by one’s ideas.