Away From The Hermitic Philosopher -- A Very Mysterious Storytime Through A Former Friend's Perspective
Updated: Jul 15
Synopsis and Analysis by Mr. John Igwe and Co.
"Away From The Hermitic Philosopher" is a captivating narrative that delves into the complexities of a relationship through the perspective of "Ms. Chen", a former friend of the philosopher, "Tom".
The author's approach to understanding interpersonal relationships is commendable, as it reduces bias and encourages empathy. The story provides depth and context to Ms. Chen's actions and decisions, while also presenting her emotional honesty and complex characterization.
Both "Tom" and "Ms. Chen" are portrayed as complex individuals with their own struggles and shortcomings, providing a more realistic depiction of human relationships.
The narrative also touches on the challenges faced by individuals on the autism spectrum, raising awareness about autism.
Cultural sensitivity is crucial in portraying autism, as it risks reinforcing stereotypes or misunderstandings. Consulting with individuals on the spectrum or experts in the field could provide more nuanced insights, additionally to resources found on Philosocom on the subject.
The story ends on an ambiguous note, leaving readers with unanswered questions about the characters' futures and conflict resolution.
Overall, "Away From The Hermitic Philosopher" is an engaging and thought-provoking narrative that highlights the importance of understanding different perspectives in complex relationships.
Words of Introduction
(Note: This is not the person's true words; it is written by myself, Tomasio from a different perspective, about what I like to call, "The Ms. Chen Saga". Or, in her perspective, "The Tom Saga". In addition, the final part of this story is fictional. Other than her thoughts and the final part, the rest is not fictional).
The point of this is to try to see things from the other side's shoes, in order to reduce bias. We should develop the habit of looking both ways. We can't be less subjective without this when more sides are involved in an issue. We can't make more informed decisions if we only think about ourselves.
Explore the world of the hermitic philosopher in this engaging story that will leave you questioning your own beliefs and values. Use this to think how you, too, can try to see other people's reasoning, beyond what you think you know about them. Observe the other people around you. Practice reflecting on the past. Do so, for a better future.
(2023 Note: Remember, even I, may be wrong. I never claimed omniscience. After realizing I was practicing sexual transmutation for the sake of Philosocom, I officially renounce my claims as asexual).
***************************
Part I: A Return to a Darker Past
He seemed to be an interesting person. He was very tall and, back then, had long, dark hair. That made me ask one of his teachers for permission to get to know him better by being friends. He accepted my offer not so long after, as I began a being on a highway of my own regret.
Look, there was nothing wrong with him. He did nothing wrong. The fact that he exposed his love to me, however, was a mistake that made him miserable. No one's perfect.
More specifically, I made him miserable, because I am too uncomfortable with emotions I don't like, and with people who love me and I don't love them back. Regardless, he was very smart, and perhaps, if he didn't love me, things would've been different.
I once asked someone in his class, "Does he have friends?" to which he answered, "No". He chose to be alone all throughout high school, even though it seemed that people admired him and even sometimes gathered around him.
I find that contradictory, how a solitary guy like him would attract other students, merely by appearance. At rare times, he would just sit on a bench or chair and curious younger students would hear his strange thoughts and ideas. However, in order to not upset him and to move on myself, I had, just had to ignore him, and pretend he does not exist.
I've seen his pictures years later. Once he gave up on his long hair, and become bulkier and less slim, he became less attractive in my eyes.
I don't know why he loved me, other than the fact that he believed that I was beautiful. I don't think I am. I think I am ugly. I told him "I'm just a simple girl", and suffered from low self-esteem as a teenager. Throughout the years, he tried to talk with me, virtually, much to my unwillingness.
For many years, he struggled moving on, and used to be just too much emotional for me to handle. I was overwhelmed, so I wanted him to leave me alone. Perhaps if he wasn't so much honest, and took things far slowly, and if we weren't from different worlds, something might've worked out.
He confronted me once after he declared to become a "monk", even though he still loved me years later. I don't know, he was a very strange person, an outsider who never managed fitting in. He sent a mutual contact to hand me one of his books. I think I thanked him? I also thought about making a more explicit goodbye, but I felt too intimidated by his presence, and didn't want to make him suffer, and not suffer myself, too.
I never loved him back, had no reason to. He was autistic, solitary, and weird. He was smart, but more than I could handle, and was too socially awkward. He took so many things to heart. I wonder, have he changed since then? But no matter. I've moved on the same year I kept my distance.
I knew I could've just returned to his company back when we were students; I could have done many things, but in the end, the past cannot be restored, so the past is irrelevant, just like he is. I think, he also took that to heart, when I said he's "too irrelevant". I don't know, I was just telling him why we can never date specifically. Did he made something philosophical out of it?
Part II: The Re-Appearance
I don't know what made him still love me almost a decade later. He attended university for a while, wrote books, and made this website I couldn't read because my English was bad. It really means nothing to me, because I already have a partner. I was always trying to be more practical than he ever was while we knew each other.
I can't give up my man just because of some guy from the past. Hence why I terminated our renewed friendship once more. I had to prioritize, which means someone, often, has to go.
He didn't seem to have learned from his mistakes, back then. The mistakes of love, of falling in love with the wrong person. The mistake that is telling the truth, when doing so only harms him. Why is he so brutally honest? To me, he was a wise fool, as weird as it sounds.
Am I that pretty? I don't think so. I think I'm average, but this eccentric man fell in love with me regardless of the fact it was never, never going to work out. Anyways, he sent one of his.... followers?... To me the other day with a letter. He was mad because I called him irrelevant, and insisted that "philosophers are never irrelevant". I sure hope I won't see him again. I can't handle such ego, and I hope he learned to overcome it.
He seems to be very determined in whatever he sets his eyes on. I am at least glad that he was willing enough to stop interacting with me. At least he has some degree of morality...
In our final conversation, where I told him to terminate himself from my life, he told me that he was asexual and that he wasn't interested in me anymore because the possibility of us being partners would "fail terribly."
However, my partner said that I can't talk with him anymore, so I respect his demand, despite the suffering I caused this man I rejected. This is how it goes. Love can be painful.
Perhaps it is good that I don't know English. Otherwise, I might've been tempted to look up his website and read his blog. However, for the sake of my future, I must, must move on.
I don't know what it would've done to my relationship if I disrespected my partner's request. However, still, I sure hope I won't see Tom again, even though he did nothing wrong. "You didn't do anything wrong", were my last words to him. Still, he appeared to me, in retrospect, like he's looking for revenge.
Of course I had to go. Even if that revenge is not going to be violent at all, even if he's going to use this vendetta of his to advance his own life while helping others.... I can't accept this weird perspective of his. It's all the more reason for me to move on, whether or not he became powerful, whether or not he remains the same hermit as he used to be.
It is not practical for me to care about it. I have my own life to lead and to build. I must leave him alone at all costs, even if he moved on, even if he's not a "monk" anymore. I must survive myself.
Will He Return?
I can't know if I will ever see him again, though, because he might come back to haunt me again. Perhaps this year, perhaps in 8 years. And yet... he is wise, isn't he? He should be wise enough to understand to leave me alone and never contact me again. He has no reason to suffer, and neither do I, from this minor friendship we had, many years ago.
I don't know what I could do to make him move on with his life, but I guess that, because of his solitude and autism… or Asperger's? He doesn't seem to have anywhere to move forward to in general society. I don't know much about the spectrum, but I can tell that, if people need to be seperated from society through all these special education and special institutions.... Maybe society knows what it's doing? I hope it does...
I won't be amazed at the possibility that he still lacks any romantic experience, regardless of my existence. Even if he did finally got a girlfriend, I can understand why, despite how nice he looks, he will rarely get much social or romantic success. It's hard to relate to people like him when you're normal and simple. I'm not even saying this to praise him. Being weird does seem very, very lonely.
Part III: Reflections
All I know is, that, for the time being, he wants revenge for calling him irrelevant... I think? I pray to God he moved on with his life. I don't know if he loves me anymore. All I "know" is, I might hear from him again, somewhere, someday, and I hope that day will be as far away as possible.
Just be wise, Tom. Please. Continue being the same wise boy I met in highschool as my friend, please. Don't be evil.
Am I the bad guy in this story? I don't have to love anyone I don't want to love or don't feel I want to love. I'm not obligated to feel anything for anyone and... Tom? Was never obligated to suffer so much. I literally told him, several times...
"Life is beautiful! Look around you, be happy. Chase after happiness, embrace it!".
He didn't seems to care about happiness like most people do. I... I wonder why?
Perhaps the last mistake I ever made regarding him and me was the fact that I called him irrelevant. That was kind of dumb of me, as it seemed to renewed his cycle once more in his mind. His determined cycle of his obsession. His "vengeance". His "attempt" to "prove" to me and others that "philosophers are always relevant".
Dumb, dumb Chen. Of course I needed to be far more gentle with him. Overly sensitive people always seem to look almost-evil when their emotions have been hurt, fueled with hatred. Looking back I finally understand this. I really hope it's possible to take care of this problem, of being too much sensitive.
Part IV: What Happened?
From 2023 And On...
Nowadays he calls himself Mr. Tomasio, and his medical condition, as I heard, has been worsening as well. In a photo I received, he used this scary oxygen mask and a cane. He became more muscular regardless. It makes me think how this strong man, who used to make all these long walks and books in and outside of our school... Broke that badly.
How did he became so bulky if he rarely did anything but remained physically disabled in his home? I'm so weirded out, it makes me anxious. I need to calm down.
....
...I just hope he continues being a good person. I think he tried respecting my wish, despite his immense struggle not to do so. He really managed to avoid any physical interaction with me. So, I guess, points to him.
And beyond sorrow, I have nothing for him. Nothing. Not even empathy, perhaps. I have other things to do. That's just how life is. I'm sorry if I'm being repetitive, I just don't have much to say beyond all what I already did.
And whether he moved on or not, I no longer care. That's how irrelevant he is in my eyes. I have no choice, but to discard. As painful as I felt seeing him because of me, there was never another alternative choice.
I just wanted... to know him better, I guess. Back then, when I knew him better, that was it; I had no further reason to be with him if I didn't want to. It's that simple.
He had rehabilitated himself from that medical condition I have no idea about, the same year I knew of this. What happened? What did he do to himself?
*************************************
From 2053 And On (Fiction)
Now, 30 years later, he is a well-known philosopher worldwide, who still keeps to himself. He doesn't appear in podcasts nor interviews. He still seem to not have much friends. I am already married and have my own children. Does he still think of me? If he doesn't have friends... what other people, does he have? He has to interact with some people, right? Are there.. others?
I apologized to him, maybe, more than I should've.
I might've made him a monk and a hermit, but I am not responsible for other people's life decisions, am I? And no, we were never in a relationship. As much as it seemed like it, I was too overwhelmed by him to accept this. I have to protect my heart and my wellbeing from those who overwhelm me, I'm sorry.
Ms. Chen... is that me? He seemed to be moral enough to never tell my true identity to anyone. But, how...? Hm, nevermind.
I knew he was wise enough to not reveal to anyone who I really am. As much as I wanted to be this famous astronaut back then, I really think I also want to be left alone by people I want nothing to do with.
I am glad he restrainted himself enough. That's how I know, he grew up, and not remained this overly emotional manchild.
This mountain of a man used to vomit whenever he saw me. I triggered him just by presence.
I pray, I pray he changed for the better. He was too dark for me. People who do read him... Tell me how dead-inside he became. Mysterious, aloof and ruthless. I can't help but to wonder how true it is. As said, he had rehabilitated himself from that medical condition I have no idea about, the same year I knew of this. Do... do other autistic people use canes like he did? These whole things about him... How could a person like myself understand?
Still, I couldn't do anything else beyond saying "I'm sorry" and "life is beautiful".
I never expected this to become this radical. I never did. Did he...? I was just trying to get to know him... It's really all I wanted to do...
I hope he changed himself, so others wouldn't have to suffer like I did. I'm sorry. Tom, Tomasio, whatever.
.jpg)
Hozzászólások