Wilson Quarterly

I used to get used copies of the Wilson Quarterly from my Dad, a retired farmer that subscribe to it.  Dad passed away in January, 2011.

I looked in my desk yesterday and came across the summer magazine of WQ, year 2010. One of the articles was titled: America: Land of Loners?

I have always wanted to review that article and 9 years late, I am getting to it. The article is written by their contributing editor, Daniel Akst.

Akst starts his article with a reference to a science fiction story taking place on an imaginary planet called Solaria. Solaria is only occupied by 20,000 humans who live on far-flung estates operated by robots, and the humans never see each other.

On Page 23 Akst writes: "We have not, of course, turned into Solarians here on earth, strictly limiting our numbers and shunning our fellow humans in revulsion.

Akst makes the point that our living in the suburbs and Sunbelt, becoming urban with smaller and blended households, we are becoming Solarian in a modest, rudimentary way.

Akst worries that our avatar relating to each other through cyberspace ends or greatly reduces friendship, and face-to-face contact. Akst suggests that we cultivate true friendship to take the cold sting out of our bourgeoning lonerism.

He believes that life is too fast and too lacking in time for building intimate friendships and deep social relationships and connections.

Divorce, moving around for jobs, etc., cause friendships to be severed. Emersonian emphasis on self-reliance and lonerism also works against depending on friends.

Akst also points out that straight men do not have many male friends, but straight women do better at this.

As I push the ethics of egoism, self-realizing and individual-living, the pangs of lonelinesss can be deadly. As a self-conscious Union of Egoists, we can have our cake and eat it too. Become Solarians, and yet come together and go apart as works for us in terms of business, pleasure and running society. True friendship, cooperation, harmony, a communal efficiency of functioning will never be so delightful and fulfilling.