Comments on: Singular and forever alien: Wisdom from literature http://agentplusenvironment.com/blog/2009/11/singular-and-forever-alien/ A few perceptions of the world Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:47:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jacqueline http://agentplusenvironment.com/blog/2009/11/singular-and-forever-alien/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Jacqueline Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:43:41 +0000 http://agentplusenvironment.com/?p=116#comment-8 Yes: Relationships are a essentially an ongoing struggle to know and understand each other as well as you can. Nicely put. And yes: You can come to imperfect understandings, and if you're satisfied with that because you know it's the best you'll ever do, then you'll be one of the happy people. The fact that we only have imperfect means of communication (language, music, art) is a reflection of the fact that we can never perfectly know each other. And hey, maybe that's enough. Because you're right: Wanting more than that is unrealistic, because it'll never happen. But when were the majority of people ever rational? Frequently, it may not even be a consciously realized want: a twinge of disappointment when you're as close as you can get and yet it's not close enough, a sense that despite everything you can share with everyone, ultimately, you're still alone. I'm with you in the "it's about the journey" boat, by the way. Yes: Relationships are a essentially an ongoing struggle to know and understand each other as well as you can. Nicely put. And yes: You can come to imperfect understandings, and if you’re satisfied with that because you know it’s the best you’ll ever do, then you’ll be one of the happy people. The fact that we only have imperfect means of communication (language, music, art) is a reflection of the fact that we can never perfectly know each other. And hey, maybe that’s enough. Because you’re right: Wanting more than that is unrealistic, because it’ll never happen. But when were the majority of people ever rational?

Frequently, it may not even be a consciously realized want: a twinge of disappointment when you’re as close as you can get and yet it’s not close enough, a sense that despite everything you can share with everyone, ultimately, you’re still alone.

I’m with you in the “it’s about the journey” boat, by the way.

]]> By: Kolie http://agentplusenvironment.com/blog/2009/11/singular-and-forever-alien/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Kolie Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:09:05 +0000 http://agentplusenvironment.com/?p=116#comment-7 Aren't relationships (romantic relationships, friendships, whatever) basically an ongoing struggle to know and understand each other as well as you can? Of course I can't ever know if Brett, for instance, hears a certain song the same way I do, but I can talk to him about what he hears in the song, what he likes about it, what he dislikes about it, and gain a certain degree of understanding about what he's hearing. And in explaining his experience to me, doesn't he also gain a better understanding of himself? So everybody wins! I just don't feel that need to know <i>exactly</i> how someone else experiences the world, or for them to know <i>exactly</i> how I experience it. I do think it would be absolutely awesome if I could experience the world as someone else does for one day (swapping bodies?) But I realize that's unrealistic. It's not something I strive for, just one of those things I think sounds really awesome but horribly unrealistic; like winning the lottery, or having someone else do my homework for me. I guess I think it's more about the journey, or the process, than the ultimate goal. (I hope that makes sense.) Aren’t relationships (romantic relationships, friendships, whatever) basically an ongoing struggle to know and understand each other as well as you can? Of course I can’t ever know if Brett, for instance, hears a certain song the same way I do, but I can talk to him about what he hears in the song, what he likes about it, what he dislikes about it, and gain a certain degree of understanding about what he’s hearing. And in explaining his experience to me, doesn’t he also gain a better understanding of himself? So everybody wins!

I just don’t feel that need to know exactly how someone else experiences the world, or for them to know exactly how I experience it. I do think it would be absolutely awesome if I could experience the world as someone else does for one day (swapping bodies?) But I realize that’s unrealistic. It’s not something I strive for, just one of those things I think sounds really awesome but horribly unrealistic; like winning the lottery, or having someone else do my homework for me.

I guess I think it’s more about the journey, or the process, than the ultimate goal. (I hope that makes sense.)

]]>