Present-Realization / Martin Buber

Present-Realization / Martin Buber

In Martin Buber’s book Secret of Dialogue, he writes about the concept of “present-realization” (nichuach). “Present-realization” involves the ability to develop a dual awareness between those engaged in dialogue: simultaneously experiencing oneself and perceiving the ‘other’ in their singularity.
The precondition for true dialogue is that each of the participants approaches his counterpart deliberately and earnestly. I must know him in my heart; my heart knows that he is another and that he is different than I in his being, that his being is different than I in his special and unique way. I hereby accept him, I sense his being, and I can direct what I say with all of my seriousness and sincerity to him as he is. I will be obliged to present the essence of my thought to the essence of his thought, possibly again and again. By this I do not mean to weaken either person’s established thought; rather, I accept upon myself this man and his being, from which his thought arises. Once I have accepted his entire being and thought, I am obligated to gradually and progressively admonish him about his missteps. I hereby accept the person who is in ‘opposition’ to me, this person who is engaged in ‘friendly battle’ with me; he is my partner in creating this dialogue of thoughts. Now the responsibility for creation of a true dialogue between us rests on him; he determines whether this symbiosis will take shape linguistically. As he contemplates the responsibility resting in his hands, and as I prepare and ready myself to engage in dialogue, I thereby am sanctioned to trust him and demand this act of friendship from him.
What does it mean to know another in the heart?
Knowing an object or an animal in the heart means to sense it in all of its tangibility and perceptibility, without reducing it through oversimplification. Although a human being is an animal, and can be sensed as an object, a human being nevertheless differs in his essence. His essence (ruach) directs his personality and imprints upon him his disposition.
Therefore, knowing another in the heart means to grasp the other as a whole being, and recognizing his dynamic core as the driving force of his actions and customs, to the fullest extent of one’s perception.
It is impossible for me to know another in my heart as long as I observe the other as a separate object, since doing so prevents me from seeing his whole being and core. Knowing another in my heart is not possible unless I allow myself to fully grasp his presence before me. I term this unique knowing in the heart as “present-realization” (nichuach).