Very well written and thoughtful piece. One rather odd response as I considered the question, who really understands me? I would put the whole world in the inner circle or, perhaps more precisely, anyone who comes in contact with me in certain degrees of interaction and then the frequency and length of those interactions. I would be curious about whether anyone else had have ever responded that way, rather than listing names.
For me the question is about who spends time, the duration, frequency, and the quality, the context of the interactions, and that translates into the Who's Who! That took me about five seconds to come up with, too, going immediately from, Of course everyone really knows me to, Wait, except if they never experienced me. And why is that? Why do I think of it that way?
I believe part of our purpose as human beings is to maximize our experiences with each other appropriately in the social situations, the contexts we interact. "Interact" is a lousy word, but the concept is not as simple as it may seem. "Maximize" also is confusing. We are not living together to overwhelm one another. Sometimes maximizing our impact has to do with allowing others to dominate the interaction, and it is not about pleasing either. It is about understanding who we are in all situations and being our authentic self while respecting the situations of others.
I like to believe the way I move through the physical spaces of my day, in bed asleep, and alone in my apartment going about my solitary tasks with the memories of my father and mother, my sisters and extended family and friends; and driving on the freeway and doing my job at work, and even just the way I walk in the supermarket without saying a word to anyone (hard to believe, huh?) expresses something others can sense.
By giving others their space while occupying our own as we happen to be is the greatest part of maximizing. Perhaps "optimizing" is a more precise word. It is the only way I know to be understood relative to others properly. Even when someone looks at me a way I would not own, I know that is because of what's going on with him or her, and I accept that and them. What else can I do? Now, you see, here I've posted on your post. Forgive me.
Very well written and thoughtful piece. One rather odd response as I considered the question, who really understands me? I would put the whole world in the inner circle or, perhaps more precisely, anyone who comes in contact with me in certain degrees of interaction and then the frequency and length of those interactions. I would be curious about whether anyone else had have ever responded that way, rather than listing names.
For me the question is about who spends time, the duration, frequency, and the quality, the context of the interactions, and that translates into the Who's Who! That took me about five seconds to come up with, too, going immediately from, Of course everyone really knows me to, Wait, except if they never experienced me. And why is that? Why do I think of it that way?
I believe part of our purpose as human beings is to maximize our experiences with each other appropriately in the social situations, the contexts we interact. "Interact" is a lousy word, but the concept is not as simple as it may seem. "Maximize" also is confusing. We are not living together to overwhelm one another. Sometimes maximizing our impact has to do with allowing others to dominate the interaction, and it is not about pleasing either. It is about understanding who we are in all situations and being our authentic self while respecting the situations of others.
I like to believe the way I move through the physical spaces of my day, in bed asleep, and alone in my apartment going about my solitary tasks with the memories of my father and mother, my sisters and extended family and friends; and driving on the freeway and doing my job at work, and even just the way I walk in the supermarket without saying a word to anyone (hard to believe, huh?) expresses something others can sense.
By giving others their space while occupying our own as we happen to be is the greatest part of maximizing. Perhaps "optimizing" is a more precise word. It is the only way I know to be understood relative to others properly. Even when someone looks at me a way I would not own, I know that is because of what's going on with him or her, and I accept that and them. What else can I do? Now, you see, here I've posted on your post. Forgive me.