Play is the exultation of the possible.
Martin BuberRead
When I confront a human being as my Thou and speak the basic word I-Thou to him, then he is no thing among things nor does he consist of things. He is no longer He or She, a dot in the world grid of space and time, nor a condition to be experienced and described, a loose bundle of named qualities. Neighborless and seamless, he is Thou and fills the firmament. Not as if there were nothing but he; but everything else lives in his light.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates the profound connection between individuals, emphasizing the value of recognizing each person as a unique being rather than an object.
Martin Buber's quote emphasizes the transformative nature of human relationships when one approaches another as a unique individual, rather than as an object or mere condition. By addressing someone as 'Thou', Buber suggests that we can transcend superficial judgments and appreciate the inherent dignity and presence of the other person, allowing for a deeper connection that illuminates our existence and brings meaning to our interactions.
Themes
ConnectionRelationshipHumanityPresenceBeing
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on community and empathy.
More from Martin Buber
All quotes →There is no room for God in him who is full of himself.
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Every person born in this world represents something new, something that never existed before, something original and unique.
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It is usual to think of good and evil as two poles, two opposite directions, the antithesis of one another...We must begin by doing away with this convention.
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God dwells wherever man lets Him in.
Martin BuberRead
Feelings dwell in man; but man dwells in his love. That is no metaphor, but the actual truth. Love does not cling to the I in such a way as to have the Thou only for its " content," its object; but love is between I and Thou. The man who does not know this, with his very being know this, does not know love; even though he ascribes to it the feelings he lives through, experiences, enjoys, and expresses.
Martin BuberRead
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