What is to Humanize the Other?

I received some comments from the past article titled, "What then, is nonviolence? So, I felt that it is timely to expound a little more on the theme.

We said then, "The most important nonviolent act is to humanize the other." I just wanted to add here that to "humanize the other", does not mean, that the other should strive to become more human. The 'act' here -- of 'humanizing' -- is not coming from the other; it is coming from me. In a sense, what I am saying is that when I look at the other, consider the other and treat the other as human, then, I am humanizing the other. If I am not humanizing him, then I am objectifying him. If it is looked at this way, then, I am either humanizing the other, or I am objectifying* the other.

*To objectify is to turn the other into an object, and like any object, something that could be owned, possessed, control and discard.

In short, to see, consider and treat the other as human -- to humanize the other, is the first step to achieving a nonviolent human society, a humanized earth. Only then, can establishing a unitary human nation be talked about.

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