The Hermit - You Shall Not Pause

The Hermit is an interesting concept. In the past, it has come to mean a quiet, contemplative life in isolation, the 'wise man in the cave' who sets our heroes on the right path. But the modern hermits live in a tiny rented apartment filled with electronics and screens, alone, all but isolated, by no means quiet let alone contemplative. Their thoughts, words and actions reach millions of people all over the world at the speed of light (or the speed of the connection in case - your mileage may vary) and they can inspire or put down, have an impact on people they will never meet.

Of course there still are traditional hermits. But the modern age needs it's modern phenomena, and the Internet gurus of the time may be either very well-known demagogues or completely anonymous people. They may even be groups of people. Anonymous is using the Low-Orbit Ion Cannon as a protest against organizations infringing on the freedom of speech. The USA and Israel used an extremely advanced targeted computer virus to hinder the Iranese nuclear enrichment project. Doesn't look like the work of hermits, right?

In the future society of the 21st century, isolation is just a state of mind.