Part 1: The Hermits

The choice has been honoured with a term, yinshi, which indicates not simply someone who lives quietly, but someone who is thereby inwardly enriched and enhanced. Away from others, we have a chance to reacquaint ourselves with our deeper thoughts and less socially compromised ways of thinking. Without a constant awareness of what other people consi

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Many who can afford to live alone will choose community over seclusion

While there’s a strong individualistic streak in town, there’s also an appreciation for the mutual aid that living in such an intense environment requires. Living in places where life takes extra effort means that going it alone isn’t an option.

The more hours you’ve put into this chaotic business of living, the more you crave a quieter, more nurturing third thing, I think. This needn’t mean dull. The friends I have now, who’ve come all this distance, who are part of my aging plan, include all kinds of joyous goofballs and originals. There’s loads of open country between enervation and int... See more