The Exception to the Rule
Even meeting someone can't tell you who someone is. Not completely. You could know someone for years and not know some specific thing they believe or an opinion they have. Nevertheless, we are required to form social bonds in order to survive. In order for these bonds to exist, we must trust one another enough -- we must have a good *enough* idea of who they are to love them or dedicate some part of yourself to them.
There is always the exception that both modifies the rule and reinforces it at the same time. You could meet someone who, at first, did not seem genuine. They were too... nice. Someone beautiful or handsome who behaved in such a way as to always be optimistic. Suppose you assume that beautiful people like that don't exist. You've never seen one. You begin to think that maybe they are insincere and manipulative. Nobody is perfect, but you couldn't really blame them for using whatever they can to appear perfect.
Imagine, though, that despite your assumptions, this person remains a lover of the world. Despite hardship and sickness, this person remained happy, optimistic, and appreciative of everything good. The more you talk with this person, the more you become friends. That person will forever be the exception to the rule. Your assumption will be forever changed. You wonder if there are perhaps more people who share this optimism and genuine love of everything. Yet you cannot find one. Not even a subset of your best characteristics and mannerisms can compare to your friend. You realize you are not worthy. And yet, you've grown to love this friend. With every story and every word exchanged, you realize that you trust your friend with much more than social formalities or toys and other things. You trust them with your friends. You trust them with your family. You'd trust them with your life. You'd trust them with your kids' lives. You have utter respect for everything they represent.
Soon enough, you begin to wonder if the trust you have in this friend is shared. Do they trust you to the same extent? You doubt yourself. You are not worthy, remember? How could you be trusted the same way? In a world of relativism, you have absolute trust in someone you feel, nay, you believe, is better than yourself. How, then, can you be trusted absolutely? There must be things about you that they doubt. You are not as nice or as warm as your friend, but you are still a decent person. You could be trusted not to steal anything from them or break their shit and leave. You respect them. You would never do anything to hurt them. Ever. You wonder if, perhaps, this respect you have -- this absolute, unwavering respect -- is justification for their trust in you. A trust you couldn't prove becomes a trust that you cannot deny. You may not know the extent to which it exists, but you know it exists. And that is enough. For now, you take solace knowing that you have such a relationship... with the exception to the rule.
There is always the exception that both modifies the rule and reinforces it at the same time. You could meet someone who, at first, did not seem genuine. They were too... nice. Someone beautiful or handsome who behaved in such a way as to always be optimistic. Suppose you assume that beautiful people like that don't exist. You've never seen one. You begin to think that maybe they are insincere and manipulative. Nobody is perfect, but you couldn't really blame them for using whatever they can to appear perfect.
Imagine, though, that despite your assumptions, this person remains a lover of the world. Despite hardship and sickness, this person remained happy, optimistic, and appreciative of everything good. The more you talk with this person, the more you become friends. That person will forever be the exception to the rule. Your assumption will be forever changed. You wonder if there are perhaps more people who share this optimism and genuine love of everything. Yet you cannot find one. Not even a subset of your best characteristics and mannerisms can compare to your friend. You realize you are not worthy. And yet, you've grown to love this friend. With every story and every word exchanged, you realize that you trust your friend with much more than social formalities or toys and other things. You trust them with your friends. You trust them with your family. You'd trust them with your life. You'd trust them with your kids' lives. You have utter respect for everything they represent.
Soon enough, you begin to wonder if the trust you have in this friend is shared. Do they trust you to the same extent? You doubt yourself. You are not worthy, remember? How could you be trusted the same way? In a world of relativism, you have absolute trust in someone you feel, nay, you believe, is better than yourself. How, then, can you be trusted absolutely? There must be things about you that they doubt. You are not as nice or as warm as your friend, but you are still a decent person. You could be trusted not to steal anything from them or break their shit and leave. You respect them. You would never do anything to hurt them. Ever. You wonder if, perhaps, this respect you have -- this absolute, unwavering respect -- is justification for their trust in you. A trust you couldn't prove becomes a trust that you cannot deny. You may not know the extent to which it exists, but you know it exists. And that is enough. For now, you take solace knowing that you have such a relationship... with the exception to the rule.