by Maya Teope
Relationships seem to break so easily. In fact, goodbye's are said so quickly that sometimes it seems as though the time people had spend together had no meaning at all.
In different social relationships I think that people strive hard to look for particular things in the people they interact with. When these particularities aren't met, the bond breaks easily. But the fact that there is a set standard is what makes the bonds weak in the first place. So I think that the thing that's missing in most relationships is the acknowledgement of The Face.
For me, The Face is something that's beyond what we see in a person. There's more to a person than what we see. After all, there's a lot about them we don't know about. And that's why they are mysterious beings that keeps us wondering everyday. But sometimes our wondering doesn't go into depths and stop at what we simply see and thus fail to see The Face.
I've met so many different people from various social groups and I've always encountered complaints of each member about another. Some people would call their friend horrible behind their back and I think that those type of people stopped trying to know their friend because they already established the notion that the person is "horrible". I think that bonds are shallow if The Face of the other is not acknowledged because in fact, The Face merely shows the other's reality in a sense. Everyone has their own flaws. Only when we appreciate the other fully despite these flaws do we see The Face. And I think that once we start seeing The Face, it becomes harder to judge, hate and discriminate. By looking at The Face we welcome the real joy of being with the other.
True enough, the more close we are to a person, the more we find it hard to encounter the Face bacause we think we already "know" the person. That's why we harshly and almost surely say "horrible" things about our friends. I can also relate this to romantic relationships. Often, the proximity, length of time spent together and the degree of closeness with our significant other pushes one to box the other, confident that he/she knows the other more than anyone else, and thus, a relationship built on "hinala", "kutob" and "Iyan ang pagkakakilala ko sa kanya,", a relationship built on failed expectations. We fail to consider the Face, the invisible, that that we still do not know about the Other when in fact, we can always be surprised, STILL, even by the persons closest to our hearts. :) -Nicole Nuguid, Ph 102 C
ReplyDeleteI think that one way one can see The Face is to have meaningful conversation. Thoughts, ideas, and opinions on anything gives you the opportunity to grasp the genuine self of another person.One must be receptive to these kinds of relationships so that you can have a different kind of dialogue and truly experience The Face and the Other. Take in the experience of the Other, but also let it draw something out of you. People have the capability of showing a different perspective on experiences, so one can grasp the opportunity of seeing a completely different world and ultimately, making use of it.
ReplyDeleteKat Altomonte Section A
I just recently watched "Her," a movie about a man falling in love with his computer. And I think it can be related with what you said that "there's more to a person than what we see." The computer obviously does not own a face, yet the man still loved her despite it. The only basis for his love for her was her personality and character. This is the true Face. Ultimately, I think this is what everyone must base their relationships on if they want it to last.
ReplyDeleteCharlene Syliangco
Ph102 A
It is certainly important to see others as Face especially when it comes to our personal relationships. Personally, I fail to see those important to me as Face and it has affected my relationships with others because I neglect seeing their possibilities. I try to conform them based on my preconceived notions about people and it has hurt my relationships. As a result, it is very important to keep Levinas' teachings in mind especially when we interact with people because it is through these concepts that we are able to remind ourselves of their own uniqueness and our own responsibility for the other. Through Levinas' teachings, I think we will be able to allow our relationships with others to become deeper as well
ReplyDeleteRobert Go
Ph102 A
In Chinese, good bye is “zai jian”, where “zai” means “again”, and “jian” means “see.” I think this is special, because it can be interpreted as: “there is no such thing as good-bye. This is so, because even if we no longer see each other physically, you will still be a part of who I am.” Each interaction with the Other shape us to become who we are. And the person does not have to be present physically to make an impact. For as long as you open up to others, you instantly allow yourself to be moved by others.
ReplyDeleteKate Bonamy
Ph102A
I agree that "once we start seeing The Face, it becomes harder to judge, hate and discriminate." I mean there's so much hate in the world whether your black, a jew, gay, or asian. People draw so many lines that separates themselves from what's common to all of us and that's our humanity. Everyone wants to be special even if it means throwing others, who are different, down the social ladder. If only we can see The Face, we'd find that we are all special because as different as we are, we are all still connected through our relationships, experiences, and most of all our humanity.
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about seeing the other in a deeper level, in the level of the face, as the source of real joy of being with the other is certainly right. Because people come and go, and sometimes, we are left with prejudice towards the other, but this is the case, only when we fail to acknowledge that the other is a lot more than his face value.
ReplyDeleteTrixia Tan
Ph102 C