Solitude, a human strategy, aphorism 482

482 

What we formerly thought was a step toward solitude was really just a step away from weakness, which is to say that it was not really a step at all but a turning around so that we could take our first real step toward strength. Now that we are in full stride again we are surprised with how many people accompany us. We look back and laugh at the number of people our former solitude required.

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