An Innate Longing for I/Thou Relationships

An Innate Longing for I/Thou Relationships

10/30/15
(Outside Reading)

Martin Buber addresses two types of relationships that I have been tossing back and forth in my head since we first read them. 

An I/It relationship objectifies the "it." On the other hand, I/Thou relationships establish a reciprocal relationship in communication. 

I believe that we hunger for an I/Thou relationship with other humans because we were created to have that sort of relationship with the Divine. 

Therefore, we are naturally are turned off by the way in which many times in this fallen world, we find ourselves in I/it relationships. 

In my Philosophy and Communication class, we read Buber as well. I have found it very interesting to apply Buber's ideas to my communication research. 

For Buber, communication isn't merely about transferring information from a sender to a receiver. Rather, it is a way of creating a meaningful experience between the I and Thou.