Your Relation to Me

Today, I am going to valiantly try to define how interpersonal relationships shape the people who we are. This intriguing connection, between one human being and another, is one that I have always wanted to wrap my finger around, but have yet to accomplish. My first question is, how do You shape the person who I am, and how do I do the same for You? It is quite interesting to pay attention to bonds and friendships in life, and to notice how each and every one of them affects the person who you are.

From a sociological perspective, the relationships in our life place us into certain categories, and deem us to be people of classification. They determine how we are viewed by society and, often times, how people choose to relate to us. These interwoven interactions give us a sense of identity that is solely based on how others perceive us to be. Is this a good thing that we relate to ourselves based on how others view our social habits?

From a personal perspective, these relationships have taught me all about who I am. My differing, and unique, links to individuals have drawn me closer to a deep connection with, and to an understanding of, myself. With every personal human relation, I feel as if I am taught something profound about the person who is Me. I have been taught that I need to give each person the opportunity to relate to me in an individual manner. I have been shown that the reason to reveal my true self to another, is so that they may less fear the experience of realizing their own individuality.

What does all this mean?

How can I change the way I relate to myself, from an outside-onlookers perspective, to an internal-introspective view of self? The answer, is to see yourself in the person next to you. If we are all able to see the distinct similarities, and individual qualities, that we share with our neighbor, we begin to formulate and define our own identities. It is very difficult to allow another person to show you a part of yourself, but when we open ourselves to the experience of another, great things tend to happen.

I wish it were easier, to sociologically explain my theory of self exploration, through interaction with another, but I find it quite difficult to express the subtlety of what I am trying to convey. Sociology in its atomic form is the individual relationships we hold with those around us. The purest form of Sociology is the dynamic connection between two people, and the knowledge and understanding they shed on each other. We must value our personal relationships because they help to shape the person who we are. Now, let's try to go out and treat others with the respect we give those whom we learn from.