WORTHY OF THOUGHT PART 2

YESTERDAY’S WORTHY THOUGHTS came from Miguel de Cervantes, Dan Rather, and Carl Sandburg (talk about variety!). Here in Part 2 we continue with another view on solitude.

Paul Johannes Tillich, 1886–1965, German/American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran theologian who was one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century. Image by Allposters.

Paul Tillich on Being Alone: “Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word ‘loneliness’ to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word ‘solitude’ to express the joy of being alone.”

Oscar Wilde on Age and Wisdom. “With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.”

Or it may be accompanied by ignorance, arrogance, and pettiness.

E. O. Wilson’s Central Problem of Humanity. “We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.”

Edward Osborne Wilson ForMemRS (1929 –2021) was an American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist known for developing the field of sociobiology. Image by Acghost at the E. O. Wilson Biophilia dedication, 2009, via Wikipedia.

Background. The Paleolithic Age From Ancient Greek παλαιός (palaiós) ‘old’ and λίθος (líthos) ‘stone,’ dates roughly from 3.3 million years ago to around 11,700 years ago. As its name suggests, it’s distinguished by the first use of stone tools. 

It’s also associated with mankind’s earliest survival-driven emotions: fear (fight-or-flee), anger (defending against threats), disgust (avoiding harmful substances), surprise (enhancing receptivity) happiness and sadness (developing social bonds), and pride and shame (involved with mating). 

It was during medieval times, the 5th to late 15th centuries, that the church became the most powerful institution in Europe. Other institutions evolving during this time included monasteries, guilds, military orders, and parliaments as well as other secular entities. Many of these remain to this day. 

I suspect a technology’s godlike nature is a relative call. Certainly the steam engine possessed power far beyond human capabilities. However, the mid-20th-century atomic bomb and our 21st-century’s artificial intelligence each has potential for enhancement—or destruction—of mankind and thus, the term “godlike technology” cannot be denied. 

By the way, E. O. Wilson’s quotation continues with “And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.” 

Thought-provoking indeed. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2025