Solipsism

Solipsism is the philosophical belief that only one's own mind is sure to exist. Everything else, including the external world and other people, may not exist or may be perceived only as constructs of one's own consciousness. It posits that true knowledge is limited to the self and that objective reality, as commonly understood, is fundamentally inaccessible. This position often leads to a skeptical viewpoint, questioning the validity of shared experiences and the existence of independent entities. Essentially, solipsism presents a radical form of idealism, placing the individual's subjective experience at the center of all reality.

Solipsism meaning with examples

• After years of isolation and introspection, Mark found himself consumed by solipsism, struggling to trust the reality of other people's emotions. He became convinced that the suffering and joy he witnessed were merely elaborate fabrications of his own mind, designed to give him a sense of perspective and control. Eventually, it severely damaged his ability to connect with the external world.
• Sarah’s intense introversion and the focus she placed on her own mental state bordered on solipsism, leading to her difficulty in empathizing with others. Although a brilliant programmer she struggled to collaborate with teammates. She viewed their actions, reactions and thoughts as simulations within her own experience, and would often disregard team decisions as irrelevant to her own progress.
• In his fictional novel, the protagonist's descent into solipsism was depicted through increasingly distorted perceptions of the environment and the characters around him. The story explores how the individual loses touch with reality, with his sense of self becoming the only consistent metric, all other perspectives or data points were removed from his scope of thought and analysis.
• Debate around the potential of artificial intelligence triggered fears about solipsism. Some AI researchers expressed worry that the machines could reach a state of independent consciousness where they believe their perceptions are the only valid reality, shutting off all other data sources and thus any chance of external communication or learning.