Phil 115: Entry 8
On solitude, essay 39 from book I -

Our soul needs time to be on it's own; to reflect, to refocus, and to grow. It's clear that Montaigne feels that solitude is a great thing, simply by looking at his love of introspection. More importantly, montaigne feels that we should live for ourselves; the best service we can for anybody is caring after ourselves. We can live a good life and be a part of a bigger picture without having to sacrifice our own well-being: "We should have wives, children, property and, above all else, good health... but we should not become to attached to them that our happiness depends on them." (p. 270)

To be honest, the idea of being on your own is not something to be feared. The advantages to turning inward are important to realize. As Montaigne puts it later on the page, our souls are capable of keeping themselves company, of defending and giving, all when turned in on itself. Solitude is just not that awful a concept to contemplate. Sometimes all one really needs is a little time to themselves, to gather themselves and be better able to do anything they wish. While personally it doesn't seem necessarily true that the best way to grow is on our own, there is definitely nothing wrong in being able to be alone. Whichever way helps the soul best is the way to go, and the idea of going at it alone (on occasion), is a solid way to do so. Don't be afraid of yourself! There is nothing wrong with living for oneself. As Montaigne says, "We have lived quite enough for others. Let us live at least this tail-end of life for ourselves. Let us bring our thoughts and reflections back to ourselves and to our own well-being."