To approach the Other in conversation is to welcome his expression, in which at each instant he overflows the idea a thought would carry away from it. It is therefore to receive from the Other beyond the capacity of the I, which means exactly: to have the idea of infinity. But this also means: to be taught. The relation with the Other, or Conversation, is a non-allergic relation, an ethical relation; but inasmuch as it is welcomed this conversation is a teaching. Teaching is not reducible to maieutics; it comes from the exterior and brings me more than I contain. In its non-violent transitivity the very epiphany of the face is produced. Emmanuel Levinas
About This Quote

Conversation is a non-allergic relation, an ethical relation; but inasmuch as it is welcomed this conversation is a teaching. Teaching is not reducible to maieutics; it comes from the exterior and brings me more than I contain. In its non-violent transitivity the very epiphany of the face is produced. In this quote, Heidegger says that our encounter with the Other is so powerful that it goes beyond mere communication and becomes a form of teaching. In his words, Conversation with the Other is a non-allergic relation , an ethical relation , and inasmuch as it is welcomed, Conversation is a teaching .

This means that when we talk to someone we are actually being taught something new and important about who they are and why they think the way they do.  When we truly open ourselves up to our interactions with others they will teach us about ourselves as well as others.  In this way, we can learn from others without harming them or changing them.

Source: Totality And Infinity: An Essay On Exteriority

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