Seeing how others affect us is an interesting thing to observe. Whether we're individuo-centric, other-focused or an objective analyser, it can be tricky separating our sense of self from the effects of others. Throughout the different perspectives we can adopt, there are a number of common themes underlying and linking them. These themes are what link us together as people.

It's evident in relationships and between cultures how people become drawn to each other based on some underlying identification with the other. There are of course many sources of conflict too. I believe the difference between identifying with someone and conflicting with them is the willingness of each person to share a window into how each of them has come to be at the current point in their lives.

Although agreeing on common behaviour, perspectives or values are suggested forms of overcoming conflict, they're still only addressing part of an individual, not the individual as an identity changing over time. What I mean by this is people often grow apart, and this is because their relationship was based on a changing aspect of themselves. If their relationship was based on an understanding of the person as a changing entity, one towards which you will feel and react differently at different times, there'd be less chance of a person holding on to a single description of the other person.

Basically this means that when a person changes, others won't feel threatened, put-out, or ignored. Your friends and family would, in effect, be facilitating the changes you're going through. With this common understanding of viewing others as constantly shifting, there'd be no pressure on relationships, there'd be less conflict and we'd feel freer to pursue our own purpose in life without threatening the people who care about us.