There's something to be said in favor of working in isolation in the real world. — A. R. Ammons

There's something to be said in favor of working in isolation in the real world.

Author: A. R. Ammons

Insight: Working alone has become almost countercultural. We're told to network, collaborate, share constantly, get feedback early and often. But there's real wisdom in what Ammons noticed: isolation isn't just tolerable—it's actually generative. When you're genuinely alone with your work, whether that's writing, thinking, building, or creating, something shifts. You stop performing for an invisible audience. You quit second-guessing yourself every five minutes. The work becomes what it actually is, not what you think others will think of it. This matters because we live in an age of constant partial attention and performative effort. We're always vaguely aware someone might see what we're doing, always ready to explain or defend ourselves. Real isolation—actual time without an audience—lets you stumble, fail, and iterate without narration. You find what genuinely interests you rather than what plays well. The irony is that this kind of solitary work often produces better results precisely because it wasn't designed for approval. It was designed for truth, or at least for something honest.