From an early age I have always had this nagging idea in my head, an idea that I would feel incredibly guilty for, yet nonetheless entertain. It was the thought maybe, just maybe, I might be the only real person on this Earth. I would imagine as I walked out of a room or turned my attention elsewhere, that everybody would “power off” kind of like robots. Later it would tranform into the idea that I was in a simulation and that anything I saw before me, or that I interacted with, was just a trick made by something to make me believe other people were real. Now, this might seem like imagination run rampant in a young child, but these thoughts are just an example of an idea known as solipsism; the problem of other minds and how we know if their real or not.

What is solipsism?

There’s something unsettling about the idea that no one else might exist. Solipisism-the view that only one’s own mind can be known to exist-is one of those philosophical ideas that is impossible to refute, yet is equally as impossible to live by. The idea of solipsism presents this problem: how can we be certain that anyone exists? But as fascinating as this question is, embracing solipsism seems both pointless and self-defeating.

Solipisism is one of the most extreme forms of philosophical skepticism questioning whether anything outside of our own consciousness can be proved for certain to exist. If all knowledge comes from personal experience, how can we prove that the outside world, or even other human beings, are real? This uncertainty has serious implications on how we act impacting not just philosophy, but also science, ethics, and interactions. If solipsism did happen to be true, then shared reality, morality, and even interpersonal relationships would be illusions, raising the question of whether anything outside oneself truly matters. Addressing solipsism is important because it forces us to examine the foundations of knowledge, consciousness, and existence itself.

The problem of other minds is that we can never directly access another persons thoughts or experiences. René Descartes’ famous quote, “Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”) provides certainty about ones own existence, but not the certainty of others. This very skepticism leads to solipsism, which suggests that since we only have access to our own experiences, we can not prove the existence of other minds at all. However, this extreme view quickly becomes insupportable when compared to real life and the things that happen around us.

The problem with solipsism

Consider, for a moment, language. Ludwig Wittgenstein, in his work Philosophical Investigations, contends against the Solipsist view with his private language argument. He argues that if solipsism were true, then language would be useless without any external reference points or meaning. Furthermore, George Berkely’s idealism philosophy affirms a shared reality through the lens of a higher being; that is to say, even if reality was constructed by one mind, that does not mean it is confined to one mind.

Beyond philosophy, cognitive science also challenges solipsism. Modern research suggests that consciousness and cognition are deeply social phenomena. Human brains are wired for interaction, empathy, and the recognition of other minds. Mirror neurons, for example, fire when we observe others performing actions, reinforcing the idea that we understand minds beyond our own. If solipsism were true, these mechanisms would serve no purpose. The ability to anticipate and react to others’ emotions wouldn’t be so central to human survival if those emotions weren’t real.

Ultimately, while solipsism may be a fascinating philosophical idea, it truly is a dead end. Even if we entertain the idea that we can’t prove other minds don’t exist, rejecting them is useless and impractical. Every moment of our lives, from using language to forming relationships, depends on assuming a shared reality. The paradox is that while solipsism can’t be refuted, it also can’t be lived by—a theory that collapses under its own weight.

Moving beyond solipsism

Maybe the real question shouldn’t be whether other minds exist or not; rather it should be how we should navigate a world with no inherent meaning. If solipsism is a dead end, maybe absurdism-embracing life’s lack of objective meaning while continuing to engage with it- could produce a more fulfilling view of the world. Rather than being trapped in doubt, we can acknowledge uncertainty and still choose to participate in the world around us.