Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
At times, I stumble across a verse like the above, and can almost feel the despair trying to creep in. The thing is that this is a verse that at first glance appears to be diametrically opposed to major aspects of my personality.
I'm an introvert.
I'm an introvert with all that that concept entails. I don't like crowds. I'd rather interact with people individually than with groups. And I'd rather that person be my wife over pretty much anyone else.
What's probably worse, is that I'm a shy introvert. So not only do I not need the interaction, I'm hesitant about generating it in the first place.
So, with the way that my nature works, how does that conform with the verse from Proverbs?
The thing is that this verse is directed against those who willfully turn themselves against society, family and their church. It's not a direct indictment against those of us who are introverts.
It's an indictment of those who do things against public opinion "just because."
It's an indictment against those who breaks traditions and customs, because of no other reason than to break them.
It's an indictment of those who do not seek other peoples opinions.
Ultimately, this is an indictment against selfishness. For that is the type of isolation, of separation, which this verse talks about. Someone who is so self-assured, of their ideas, ideals and own conceits, that they seek no guidance from anyone.
Not even God.
It's a simple fact, humanity does not do well in isolation. We are social creatures. We are not made to be alone, and loneliness can destroy us: physically, emotionally and spiritually.
When left entirely to our own devices, when we have no check on our ideas or our egos, we quickly, and often happily, turn to selfishness. When it's just us alone, nothing else matters but our self.
What's worse, and why the verse always stops me, is that this is an easy state of being for introverts to fall into.
If we're not careful, we'll gladly step back from all of society, away from friends, from the church, even our families; clustering ourselves away from any and all. We will stop seeking human contact and when trouble appears in our lives, we turn to no one.
And from there, from that place where we seek out no one, where we feel that we need no one, it's a short step to condemning social interactions, and those who thrive on it. You start judging the extroverts that flicker through a party, deeming them inferior, shallow, less intelligent, as they jump from group to group generating small talk. You condemn the small talk, feeling that the subjects are worth your attention or efforts. And eventually, you even think that of the people there.
Selfishness. Judgment. Condemnation.
That's the indictment of this proverb.
Journal Prompt: How do you feel about being alone?
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