♦ Last Updated on July 24, 2024 ♦

Exploring Reciprocity, Mutuality, and Complementarity in Human Relations

Christine
Christine

Ever wondered what is significant to know when trying to make the world a better place? Generally, I recommend that ordinary people look to God or religion for some answers. The Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his spouse Hak Ja Han Moon have set a fabulous example of ‘living for the sake of others.’ Religion is dead simple compared to psychoanalysis.

Aha. Had you asked me, I’d say that in the realm of human interactions, the concepts of reciprocity, mutuality, and complementarity play pivotal roles in shaping relationships and fostering connections. These principles of intersubjectivity form the foundation of healthy and harmonious interactions among individuals, emphasizing the importance of give-and-take, shared understanding, and mutual support.

Jessica Benjamine
Jessica Benjamine
Tom
Tom

Why are these principles, or almost any principle, important? As Martin Heidegger wrote in his (hard-to-read) book Time and Being, people find themselves ‘thrown‘ into the world. This is an existential sentiment—for sure. However, people are much more familiar with the experiences of loneliness and boredom. Loneliness and boredom are the enemies of the natural inclination for satisfaction and fulfillment.

Christine
Christine

Tom, I think you read too many ‘humanistic’ books. Who is Jessica Benjamine, anyway?

Look, why do so many marriages fail? Is it not because people and mates experience loneliness and boredom. If the family is the cornerstone of civilization, young people must not only learn about God’s love, but also down-to-earth subjects such as reciprocity, mutuality, complementarity, and then some.

Tom
Tom
The Shadow
The Shadow

Yes, the old-fashioned explanations of the Fall of Man and Augustinian sin hardly cut it anymore. Without more profound insights, adolescents may not be better prepared for their future as bonded couples. God’s parental love creates and fosters one kind of bond, but there is much more going on in human relations. We also need to discuss the dynamics of other bonds, especially amorous love between a man and a woman. Can we talk about that?

Ooops…

St. Augustine
St. Augustine
Christine
Christine

Tom, you know that I am into faith-based character education for young people, and you have given me plenty of credit for that. Thank you. What do you advise educators like me to undertake to make additional differences in the lives of youth?

I’d say help adolescent youth cope with the isolation or loneliness that comes with growing up and prevent them from falling into eventual boredom and then into what-have-you. Community projects are the key for young and old to find connections, purpose, and meaning and stay out of trouble. Traditional faith-based character education is a proper foundation, but there is more to human development than reliance on faith can account for.

Tom
Tom
Christine
Christine

Well, we have GPA and CIG. These are examples of projects that arguably make a significant difference. I do have a working plan for a faith-based character education curriculum. However, I do not see many regional activities that follow up with participants after they are ‘thrown‘ back into ordinary life.

Any follow-up efforts need to focus on human development, that is, our innermost psyche and how we acknowledge each other (or not) as sentient beings, and less on politics and an insistence on pleasing the authorities.

Tom
Tom
Youth
Youth

Okay, can we now get on with reciprocity, mutuality, and complementarity, please?

Continue to Reciprocity 2.0 Part B…

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