The people who best survive social isolation are those with a strong inner world. They are people who ‘require’ less stimulation from others and can exist for long periods, immersed in their own imaginations and mental abstractions.
Often people think that they have just been born more ‘extroverted’ or ‘introverted’, and there is nothing that they can do to change this ‘fact’.
But this is simply not true. While many of these outcomes do go back to the differences in early socialisation practices, where some people are more encouraged to develop richer imaginations, it is by no means biologically determined or set in concrete.
One of the best ways to develop more inner world is to take up reading. Any books are fine, but novels are particularly good.
This is because novels increase ‘insight’ by enhancing social and emotional intelligence, by providing depth, options and explanations around human motivations and strategies. Novels also build imagination skills and encourage self-reflection. They give the reader a rare glimpse into the mental landscape of other people.
These are all fantastic skills for both building a self-reliant, inner world during times of isolation, as well as enhancing social interaction skills and insights in times of plenty.