Since each person, as an individual, is the not-being of the other, it is never possible to eliminate non-understanding completely.
Interpretation
Understanding between individuals is inherently limited due to our individuality.
Friedrich Schleiermacher's quote emphasizes the idea that each person exists uniquely and independently, which creates a barrier to complete understanding between individuals. Since our perspectives and experiences are distinct, achieving total comprehension of another's thoughts and feelings is impossible; there will always be an element of non-understanding in human relationships.
In practice
During a workshop on interpersonal communication, I shared this quote to highlight the complexities of understanding in relationships.
The first, that their pretensions to this possession of an art properly so called in their art of speaking are entirely unfounded; and the second, that they are involved in a profound mistake in their confusion of the good with the pleasant.
Whenever I find a spark of that hidden fire that will sooner or later consume the old and create the new, I am drawn to it with love and hope, regarding it as a sign of my future home.
Either the translator leaves the author in peace, as much as is possible, and moves the reader towards him: or he leaves the reader in peace, as much as possible, and moves the author towards him.
The essence of the religious emotions consists in the feeling of an absolute dependence.
Now the relation which, in the sphere of nature, being and semblance or sensation bear to one another in this antithesis, is the same as that which in ethics exists between good and pleasure or feeling.
The essence of religion consists in the feeling of an absolute dependence.
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.
It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do?
Oh, I don't think religion has failed. It's man who has failed. Christ hasn't failed. The Gospel hasn't failed. The teachings of God have not failed.
In any dispute, each side thinks it's in the right and the other side is demons.
The suburbs dream of violence.
Truth is weirder than any fiction I've seen.
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