When a Stranger Stops Being a Stranger

A man arrives by bicycle in a town where he knows no one. Someone who has never seen him before fills his water bottles, then sets a place at the table and hands him a towel. In this opening piece of What Keeps Us Human to One Another?, Psychology Professor RJ Starr begins with the travel videos of Ryo Murata (HumanRevo) and asks what is happening in that moment, and why watching it is so affecting. The answer offered is not generosity. It is the point at which a stranger stops being a category and becomes a particular person in someone else's attention. The piece then turns to the case that does not fit: the man on the sidewalk who is passed without a second look. Recognition, on this account, is an event that happens under conditions, and the same person can give it in one hour and withhold it in the next. Written and read by RJ Starr. Read the piece: https://profrjstarr.com/what-keeps-us-human-to-one-another/when-a-stranger-stops-being-a-stranger #whatkeepsushuman #profrjstarr