Jeff Lee I and Thou

Martin Buber takes a fresh prospective at the relationship between pairs of words such as (I and you) or (I and it). In first discovering what the topic of his argument/discussion was I had many questions. Such as: How can an argument be raised over such a simple issue? What is the significance of this idea? What is this idea of Reciprocity?
Naturally as humans we strive and desire recognition. We think of ourselves as unselfish beings. Why is that? Am I doing this for my glory? We naturally are selfish beings it’s human nature, these traits are born within us. In Genesis God creates ‘man in his own image.’ God himself is a very selfish being, all through the Old Testament he speaks of his selfish nature. God desires to bring glory to himself. Is that wrong? Is perfection not desirable? Buber says ‘you’ has no borders and that ‘it’ borders on other ‘its.’ We expect something back from our’ you’. This is an example of reciprocity, or personal return. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Overall we desire our own glory without boundaries on our ‘you’
Now we come to the two words experience and encounter. Encounter is a first time embankment or a mystery it has an element of surprise and lack of control. An experience is something that has happened before and that is worth remembering. Those who experience do not participate in the world. The experience is in them and not between them and the world. The world does not participate in experience. It allows itself to be experienced. Experience has to act in the world not be acted upon. In relationships if we are in it for the experience and not actually participating in the world as it happens than it is not an encounter, nor is it significant.