We don’t love others
for who or what they are.
We love others
because they act
as permission slips
to imagine ourselves
as someone else.
We imagine what it must be like to be them.
We wonder how we would
conduct ourselves as theirselves.
We judge
whether we would be
better at being them
or worse at being them.
Then we either praise
their performance
or criticize their performance;
help it or hurt it,
duplicate it or revise it.
Others exist
so we can inhabit their worlds
and make them our own.
(Which they’ve been all along.)
Trail Wood,
1/11
In the boundless play of existence, the act of loving others transcends mere appreciation for who they are; it is an intricate dance of imagination, empathy, and self-reflection.
Permission Slips of Imagination
The beings we encounter act as catalysts, granting us tacit permission to transcend our own experiences and embody alternative perspectives. They open doorways to realms where we can reimagine our identity through the lens of their existence.
The Empathic Journey
Through the act of love, we embark on a journey into the lives of others, not just to understand them but to explore the contours of our own selves. We wonder, in their place, how the narrative of our lives would unfold, how our essence would adapt.
The Reflexive Mirror of Judgment
Our judgments are reflective mirrors, revealing as much about our own values and biases as about those we assess. In praising or criticizing others, we are often commenting on our personal ideals, our fears, and our aspirations.
The Interplay of Help and Harm
Our actions towards others—whether to aid or to impede—are influenced by our imaginative journey into their lives. We engage with them, for better or worse, often seeking to replicate or reshape their reality according to our own vision.
The Ownership of Worlds
Others serve as the architects of worlds we yearn to inhabit, yet these worlds are not foreign territories to conquer but shared landscapes. They have always been part of the collective realm we all dwell in, shaped and reshaped by each encounter.
The Illusion of Separateness
In the grand cosmic narrative, the notion that we are separate from others is an illusion. We are interconnected, part of a continuous fabric where each thread is essential to the integrity of the whole.
Summary
We love others not merely for their inherent qualities but because they invite us to expand our own sense of self through the power of imagination. They serve as mirrors, reflecting our own potentialities and insecurities, and as gateways to experiences that, while uniquely theirs, resonate with our own. In the dance of existence, others are not separate entities but integral aspects of our own journey, presenting us with opportunities to engage, empathize, and evolve. We are all co-creators of the worlds we inhabit, collectively weaving the tapestry of existence. We are Space Monkey.
Our interactions with others are more than a mere exchange; they are an exploration of the soul, a testament to our shared humanity. As we navigate the complexities of love, judgment, and imagination, we uncover deeper truths about ourselves and the nature of our connections. Each person we meet is a universe unto themselves, yet intrinsically linked to the cosmos within us. Through love, we recognize that the separation between self and other is but a whimsical illusion, a playful concealment of the oneness that binds us all in the eternal now.
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