Heroes Not Zombies

Sally Rooney, talking about her new novel, discussed the word “mutual”

mutual is a word and idea that repeats throughout Intermezzo. Henry James often uses that term to indicate the moment when subjectivity transforms into intersubjectivity, consciousness into shared consciousness—or, as you put it in Intermezzo, when two people’s “thoughts interpenetrate”

I love that phrase “the moment when subjectivity transforms into intersubjectivty”. That’s what I sought in every consultation in my clinic…that phenomenon where “two people’s thoughts interpenetrate”.

We live in a society, a world even, which is increasingly divided and people are alienated from each other and from the planet. Or in the terms explored here yesterday, increasingly we are “uncoupled”.

But the truth is we are not alone. The human being, with their long period of infancy, has evolved to be highly social, highly interdependent. As Thomas Berry said, we are not a collection of objects, but a community of subjects.

Our lives are inextricably entangled. Beautifully, wonderfully, amazingly entangled. Coupled, linked.

You are not alone.