grothendieck capacity to be alone

Grothendieck discussed the capacity to be alone as a basic capacity in all of us from the day of our birth. 1 He reflected on the experience of being alone while someone else is present and how it can lead to creativity and true creativity. 1 He also mentioned D.W. Winnicott's phrase "the paradox of being alone while someone else is present" 1 , suggesting that the experience of being alone while someone else is present is a key part of the development of this capacity. Grothendieck also wrote that to break the bounds of society, one must rediscover the capability of being alone, which is their birth-right. 2