Nothing human is alien to me

 

If something I seek in this blog is to explain myself as simple as possible. This time as an exception I will make use of two Latin phrases.

“Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto.”

I am human, nothing human is alien to me.

To which Unamuno answered:

“Homo sum, nullum hominem a me alienum puto.”

I am human, no other human is alien to me.

Nothing human is alien to me, unreachable possibility if not by the use of self-deception. But again absolute empathy that gets closer with each larp that takes place.

When a character is played, wearing its skin, we acquire a certain affinity towards those of similar reality.

Do not be absurd, to play an experience is not the same as living it and still…

And still this constant taking the place of others, performs an estrange change until we can almost affirm: Nothing human is alien to me, no other human is alien to me.

Recently a larp in Switzerland took place. In it during few hours delegates and politicians walked a mile in the shoes of Syrian refugees. In the comments I did read: “That´s the last straw, that our politicians felt empathy for the refugees”

Of course!, empathy is essential in a world that seeks to divide us in small and pliable groups.

But this closeness in the experience is necessary not only towards the ones that suffer, also towards the victorious, the ones that cause pain, the ones that have an anodyne life. In short, with everything that is alien to us. What do we want to achieve with those connections when they are directed always towards the same sector apart from polarizing ourselves even more?

Saying something like: Larper sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto. Is without doubt excessive, conceited and pedant, but that does not change the fact that larp is, sometimes by accident, the unconscious way towards empathy.