“Why doesn’t he seem to be fazed by more than a year of absolute isolation?”
This line from the review reads much differently in 2021 than it would have in 2015.
This line from the review reads much differently in 2021 than it would have in 2015.
Physical isolation is one thing, and may be intolerable to many, but social isolation is another. Not even having another person to speak to, let alone text with, for weeks/months at a time is very different than what most people experienced through the various shutdowns and social distancing efforts.
It's hard to find a time in your life that works but I quit my job and it was absolutely worth it.
Doing it in chunks is fine and works for some people but doing it all at once is a completely different experience unlike anything else.
Also the initial point was about total isolation, he was not totally isolated, he had better bandwidth and latency than 1800s mail.
Also, though he is isolated, he knows everything he does and discovers will be eventually found, analyzed and made useful by NASA and future space travellers. All of this can provide a sense of greater social connection that can keep him motivated to keep going.