The Voice of the Other

I was listening to Krista Tippet's On Being radio show recently. She and her guest, Lyndsey Stonebridge, were talking about the writings and philosophy of Hannah Arendt. (here) Arendt had fled Germany at the beginning of World War II. Something that particularly struck me was Arendt's phrase "the banality of evil." The other phrase that stuck with me is that "modern totalitarianism is organized loneliness." 

For Arendt the banality of evil is the inability to hear another voice, the inability have a dialogue with yourself or the world. Does this inability come from fear? Does it come from loss of connections with ourselves, with others, with nature? 

I do see the sense of what Arendt said about modern totalitarianism. I see that those who would institute it today seem to be practicing what the Nazis did, what the totalitarian Soviet state did. That is creating divisions, creating fear of the other, and thus, the inability to have community and dialogue. Because if you can't trust others, then you have to rely solely on yourself, be mostly with only yourself - and possibly a few others. Hence, you are isolated.

One antidote, possibly, is remembering to have compassion for others. To have compassion, I think, requires that we slow down, that we pay attention. Having compassion can help us to have connection and to have an ability to hear that other voice.  At the same time, compassion for ourselves is equally important. 

I'm not sure that this make sense to others as to how they fit with this theme, but I want to share some poems that I feel are about hearing the voice of the other and refusing to be isolated - because it all comes down to the heart, to love and (at least in my mind) giving yourself permission to be fully who you are, fully in the world. 


Before All Else

Before all else
was love:

expressing itself
created what 
came after.


Be As a Lark Rising

Be as a lark—rising—

with wings spread wide

to meet the day, existence

flowing forward, upward

only ever in the now

in sun, in rain.

And: 

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, you are

the one that inhabits

the spaces between

the words, between people.

A manifestation of the creator,

you enliven all things.

You are the one, Holy Spirit,

that asks us to dance and

live fully in the world.

Help us, Holy Spirit,

to abide whole-heartedly

in the now, in the world.

One of my efforts, at this time, to refuse to be isolated, to hear the voice of the other is a Women's Wisdom Circle that I have started. The purpose is to lean in and support each other, to ignite the creative spark in each other. I also try to greet everyone at least politely, if not cheefully, and to look people in the eye. I keep on writing. 

Yes, I am trying to create connection. 

All poems: ©2017 Kathryn L. Samuelson
All images: Opening the Heart: Meditations on How to Be (here)