Comment by entropyneur

On the intellectual level I have absolutely no reason to doubt the scientific evidence or the countless accounts of people who were subjected to solitary imprisonment and describe it as torture and worst thing that ever happened to them. I remember a documentary (probably NatGeo's "America's hardest prisons") episode where a violent and seemingly fearless thug was reduced to a crying baby by 2 weeks of solitary confinement. Yet, for some reason I am completely unable to empathize with it. And it's not for general lack of empathy either - I am quite horrified by pretty much everything else I learn about the experience of prisoners. But even after reading this article I feel like I'd choose solitary over sharing a cell with others. I suspect that points to some peculiarity/defect in my psyche. Does anyone else feel the same way?