What is your idea of solitude? Sitting alone watching television? Reading a newspaper while eating your dinner? Surfing the Net? With so many ways to distract ourselves, perhaps we really could use some advice on how to effectively spend time alone. In 1956, Thomas Merton - a Trappist monk and one of the foremost spiritual thinkers of this century - wrote Thoughts on Solitude. This important piece reflected on the merits of isolation. Believing that people were reluctant to be spend time alone meditating or simply reflecting on life's little intricacies, Merton recommended isolating oneself periodically from external distractions to prevent spiritual emptiness. | Thoughts In Solitude by Thomas Merton, Paperback | Indigo Chapters