Me and the other: what the worlds of education and work should enable …

What is striking about workplace relationships – and what is reflected in numerous posts on LinkedIn – is the growing number of people who speak of feeling unwell at work and of aggressive and toxic behaviour.

Paul Ricoeur (Oneself as Another, p. 226) wrote: ‘Similarity is the fruit of the exchange between self-esteem and concern for others. This exchange allows us to say that I cannot esteem myself without esteeming others as I esteem myself. ‘Like myself’ means: you too are capable of initiating something in the world, of acting for reasons, of prioritising your preferences, of valuing the aims of your action and (…) of valuing yourself as I value myself. (…) Thus, valuing the other as oneself and valuing oneself as another become fundamentally equivalent.”

Just a few lines define the direction of education and human relationships in the world of work.

Treating others as we would like to be treated ourselves: this is the key that unlocks the door to human relationships that respect each person’s unique qualities and are healthily productive. We have never talked so much about ethics as we do today, yet many words are no match for a single concrete action.

Beyond philosophy, Ricoeur invites us to (re)become human.

Ideal, utopia or possible? It is a question of committing to a shift in perspective.