溫故知新 Old wisdom, today’s insight — ONGO
What Is It to Have One Person Who Knows Me as I Am?
Why does a friendship where two souls melt inexplicably into one come, if ever, but once in a life?
Because it was he, because it was I.
Montaigne, trying to explain his friendship with La Boétie, finally gave up explaining. To why they became so completely one, his answer was a single line — "because it was he, because it was I." A reason no reason can give. In this friendship, he said, two souls mingled so completely that the border of "yours and mine" vanished. It pushes Aristotle's "a friend is another self" to its limit. Yet Montaigne said such a friendship comes, if ever, but once in a life. The question branches — to hold such complete oneness as the ideal, or does its very rarity make friendship lonely? Are several good friends enough, or does one need the single person who knows them wholly?
Amid countless shallow connections, the longing for the one who knows me wholly quietly remains today.
📝I, Too, Stand Before It
I linger long before this one line — "because it was he, because it was I." We always attach reasons to love, but the deepest love goes beyond reason. One person who knows me as I am, without explanation — with such a friend, life would be less lonely by that alone. Yet as Montaigne said, such friendship is rare, and its absence is no failure of a life. Perhaps rather than waiting for such a friend, I do better to strive to be one to someone. Before longing for one who knows me wholly, am I knowing someone that way?
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