Identification

HI Do I know you?

 

Better yet do I want to know you?

 

What about the reverse – Do you know me?

 

Better yet, Do you fear me?

 

At the heart of human inter-relationships are emotions – love and fear,

 

At the heart of love and fear – selfless not selfish – is adoration – “I admire you ‘cause I see something I would like to emulate in you” – good behavior etc. and respect for the same quality ensues.

 

At the heart of love is also this word called identification.

 

You and I are intrinsically the same therefore I care about you just like I care about myself.

 

This is why families have greater bonds than strangers, for even if their adoration may not be there at least their identification is.

 

Jews, people brought up in truly democratic societies (i.e. not those who pay lip-service to the notion of all men are equal but those who really believe it) have a wonderful gift in identifying with larger numbers of people, for as Einstein said, the goal of life is to identify with as many people as you can – for then your heart expands to millions of directions filling your own life with love, happiness, serenity and tranquility.