A Principle to Keep

I believe that a principle to keep no matter the situation should be to have at least a companion in order to maintain hope. If one can turn to their god(s) or to friend(s)/family in times of despair or difficulty, they are less likely to lose hope with someone on their side. There is also safety in numbers which helps people to stay alive and maintain confidence. With no one to speak to except themselves, people can develop Nihilist beliefs and make poor decisions pertaining to their survival if they have lost hope in surviving and have no signs of salvation or confidence. Studies have shown that when people are alone for too long, they lose sanity, which may lead them to make poor choices and lose social skills, as is also shown in The Lord of the Rings where Gollum talks to himself almost as two different beings after being isolated for half a millennium, and in H.P. Lovecraft's short stories where incompetent townsfolk are drawn in by curiosity without a voice of reason, and as a result lose sanity to Cthulu. This theme is also shown in Ernest Hemingway's story "Now I Lay Me" where Nick lays awake, and although he does have a companion, his companion is asleep most of the time. Nick has to constantly be doing something when his companion is asleep to avoid being literally bored out of his mind, and the times that his partner is awake keep him thinking and give him new things to consider and to aspire to. A companion helps one to imagine a fantasy where new possibilities arise, and even though both may not believe in it, there is always the question of "what if," and hope for new possibilities.