Hanging out with Rabbi Rabbs on Shabbos, he read to me a few sentences from Rabbi Avigdor Miller who said that you should spend as much time as possible on your own so that you are not dragged down morally by the people around you.
On Sunday morning, I went to a shiur by a Hasidic rebbe teaching Tanya. He said, “Why do we [Orthodox Jews] spend so much time with each other? It is to cut down on sin. When you’re around other people, you’re going to generally behave with more dignity (even if you’re secular and you are hanging out with other secularists). Tzadikim (righteous) don’t degenerate when they’re on their own, but most people do.”
I side with the rebbe. I know that I tend to get weirder as I get more isolated and this weird behavior increases my isolation and my anger, which tends to further degrade my behavior.
From a tremendously entertaining book, Rabbi Avigdor Miller Speaks, Volume I: Marriage, Children, Shabbos and Loving Hashem, pages 237-238:
Is there anything wrong with listening to a non-Jewish radio talk show host that has a conservative and right-wing perspective on life?
It’s certainly better than listening to a liberal. However, it is important to know that even a non-Jew of sterling character does not possess an outlook on life that is in anyway compatible with a proper Torah perspective. He makes light of that which we deem sacred and his values are foreign to our own. The truth is, the less association that you have with non-Jews, the better off you will be.
…As a rule, the more time one spends alone, the better off he will be. Of course, if one can spend time with tzaddikim (righteous) then he will certainly be well off, as there is no greater company than a tzaddik. Otherwise, however, one should attempt to live a life of solitude, and to do so is a very great achievement.
…Savor the moments that you find yourself alone… You’ll find that these moments present very real opportunities for growth and character development. For experience testifies to the fact that the more time one spends in the company of others, the more likely he is to fall under their influence. You’ll begin to act like they act and eventually think like they do as well.
