Adventures of a Newlywed Hijabi

As you can see, we’re taking a little break from my adventures and talking about a real-life problem.  

I’m taking a very interesting course this semseter called Religion and the Moral Imagination. The premise of the course is to differentiate between the act of looking and that of seeing. The fundamental difference between the two, as described by our prof, is that looking does not impact our soul. It does not reach out and makes us relate to those around us. Most importantly, it does not touch us. Seeing, on the other hand, requires us to open ourselves to feel the pain/joy of others around us. It requires us to feel what the other is feeling, even if it means losing something of ourselves in that pain.

 While I disagree with a lot of ideas that our prof has presented in this course, I see the merit of this distinction. After all, if we “saw” that others around us were in trouble, that they needed help or even if they had to share some joyous news- it would take our time and more importantly, our energy, of which we have very little to spare.

For me the realization of this distinction is the first step towards becoming a more discerning individual. To be able to see someone, to see their pain and their happiness, is to share and celebrate the commonalities we share. We, all of us, have our joys and our sorrows- both of which are often hard to contain within the confines of our psyches. Perhaps if we “see” someone through their moments of need, we shall have the support of their discernment when our time comes around.