I have always been amazed by the concept of the Other as someone ontologically different than me. The one who surprises me and sometimes hurts me, not because he/she is acting in bad faith, but for the simple reason that he/she doesn’t function like me.
During my studies in Italy, I decided to reflect on the existence of the Other and how mass media perceived him/her. The reason for that endeavour was what drove me to Journalism: How to deal with the daily challenge to make news that connects people despite their different realities?
The Other, the different, doesn’t share my values, doesn’t have my worldview, but through a methodology that seeks objectivity, he/she must be acknowledged, listened to, embraced.
My quest for accepting the many others that life presented me brought me to The expulsion of the Other, book written by South Korean-born German philosopher and cultural theorist, Byung-Chul Han.
I have to admit that it wasn’t easy to follow the author’s line of thought. It is a short but dense work with some brilliant insights. After closing the book, I carried a particular concept with me: the first step to acknowledge the other, that is entirely different than me, is to exercise my capacity to listen. From the author’s words:
“Listening has a political dimension. It is an act, an active participation in the existence of Others, in their suffering too. It is what joins and connects people to form a community in the first place”.
Byung-Chul Han
The expulsion of the Other helped me remember another aspect that brought me to Communication: We must never exclude those who think differently. Therefore, dialogue, negotiation, and compassion are our allies for a shared and peaceful existence.