Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, didn't believe that we could truly meet someone.
Sometimes I believe him.
Afterall, we are independent beings cut off from the world. What we know for sure is only our very own existence. I cannot tell with the same confidence other people's thoughts and feelings, and I never will.
And again, how could we?
Everytime I meet someone, I don't truly meet him. All I meet is what I assume of him in my mind, and so does he. We may both meet in flesh, but we never truly face each other. All we ever face is our own assumptions.
We never perceive through anything but our own existence. We are private beings, dettached from each other. There's no one in our hearts to talk to, only our voice. Other people, no matter how close they are, remain objects to us. We spend our lives by ourselves. We are truly alone.
Sartre was right.
Truly meeting someone is impossible.
There are other times when I don't believe that, though.
One is when I watch this TV commercial.
Contrary to what I wrote above, stories of encounter, just like the ad, interest me. I guess in part it's because they remind me how at times I do feel in sync with someone, even when I realize that the other part is my own wish of not wanting to believe in Sartre's words.
Either way, people do meet.
Sometimes, they may even take a higher level, just like the commercial. Its characters violently contradict Sartre's words. Not only is the male shown not knowing who he is, he also only succeeds in doing so after looking at himself through the female's eyes.
He finds himself through the eyes of someone else.
Ain't that grand?
A simpler, yet richer encounter can also be found in the film Before Sunrise (yep, that movie again). The characters Jesse and Celine blatantly mention it when they talk about losing oneself.
And again in numerous ways in the film Before Sunset, one of which is this powerful scene.
So,
can people truly meet?
I certainly hope so.
Although ironically, and also obviously, it seems we are only able to do that exactly when we lose ourselves and stop being subjects anyway.
Well, as long as we get the chance of experiencing and remembering it, you won't have the slightest objection from me.
Sometimes I believe him.
Afterall, we are independent beings cut off from the world. What we know for sure is only our very own existence. I cannot tell with the same confidence other people's thoughts and feelings, and I never will.
And again, how could we?
Everytime I meet someone, I don't truly meet him. All I meet is what I assume of him in my mind, and so does he. We may both meet in flesh, but we never truly face each other. All we ever face is our own assumptions.
We never perceive through anything but our own existence. We are private beings, dettached from each other. There's no one in our hearts to talk to, only our voice. Other people, no matter how close they are, remain objects to us. We spend our lives by ourselves. We are truly alone.
Sartre was right.
Truly meeting someone is impossible.
There are other times when I don't believe that, though.
One is when I watch this TV commercial.
Contrary to what I wrote above, stories of encounter, just like the ad, interest me. I guess in part it's because they remind me how at times I do feel in sync with someone, even when I realize that the other part is my own wish of not wanting to believe in Sartre's words.
Either way, people do meet.
Sometimes, they may even take a higher level, just like the commercial. Its characters violently contradict Sartre's words. Not only is the male shown not knowing who he is, he also only succeeds in doing so after looking at himself through the female's eyes.
He finds himself through the eyes of someone else.
Ain't that grand?
A simpler, yet richer encounter can also be found in the film Before Sunrise (yep, that movie again). The characters Jesse and Celine blatantly mention it when they talk about losing oneself.
 |
| Jesse & Celine at the Park |
Jesse: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I know what you mean about wishing somebody wasn't there, though. Its just usually its myself that I wish I could get away from. Seriously, think about this. I have never been anywhere that I haven't been. I've never had a kiss when I wasn't one of the kissers. Y'know, I've never, um, gone to the movies, when I wasn't there in the audience. I've never been out bowling, if I wasn't there, y'know making some stupid joke. I think that's why so many people hate themselves. Seriously, its just they are sick to death of being around themselves. Lets say that you and I were together all the time, then you'd start to hate a lot of my mannerisms. The way, uh, the way every time we would have people over, uh, I'd be insecure, and I'd get a little too drunk. Or, uh, the way I'd tell the same stupid pseudo-intellectual story again, and again. Y'see, I've heard all those stories. So of course I'm sick of myself. But being with you, uh, it made me feel like I'm somebody else. Y'know the only other way to lose yourself like that is, um, y'know, dancing, or alcohol, or drugs, and stuff like that.
And again in numerous ways in the film Before Sunset, one of which is this powerful scene.
 |
| Jesse & Celine Embrace |
So,
can people truly meet?
I certainly hope so.
Although ironically, and also obviously, it seems we are only able to do that exactly when we lose ourselves and stop being subjects anyway.
Well, as long as we get the chance of experiencing and remembering it, you won't have the slightest objection from me.
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