For the modern solitary, the quest for silence has vastly broader boundaries than what one's predecessors faced. Solitude is real only when it is relative to the world in which it is lived. It is unreal if attempted in fantasy--as though telephones and fax machines, the Internet and E-mail did not exist. (36)
Barbara Erakko Taylor, Silent Dwellers: Embracing the Solitary Life
hermits, silence, simple-life, solitude