Throughout history, humans have tried to make sense of the world around them. Through observation, discussion, and theory crafting, individuals have managed to present specific ideas on the nature of broader concepts. Practices that study the fundamental aspects of human existence can be called philosophy. Many great minds have combined their ideas and assumptions about the world in an effort of gaining insight into things that are bigger than oneself. Solipsism is one among a broad range of philosophical ideas used by people to ponder on the nature of knowledge. The main premise of the theory is that everything that exists, exists within a single mind. This theory entails that the mental state of an individual is the only true and genuine state.
In more certain terms, the belief can be understood as that a person’s existence and their surroundings, including events and other people only exist within their consciousness. This worldview is fully egocentric, there the feelings of other people cannot conceivably exist. The emotions, thoughts, and experiences of a singular person are, therefore, absolute facts. Knowledge about psychological concepts is obtained and understood through analogies with personal inner experiences. Solipsist searches for meaning inside themselves, by correlating feelings they experience with subjects they wish to understand. The phrase “Nothing outside the mind” can be used to aptly describe philosophy and its peculiarities. Philosophers subscribed to this theory often reject the existence of material reality and object permanence. One of the philosophers, Berkeley, rejects materialism in favor of idealism that accepts the existence of the mind, not the body or matter.