Is a Vertical Possible in the Presence of the Other?
When you are no longer the only center
If we perceive an encounter with the Other not as a psychological event, but as a change in the very configuration of being, we must rethink our understanding of inner silence. What seems like a stable inner space actually functions only under a certain condition: as long as the subject remains the sole center of their own world. In this case, silence is organized around an internal axis. It gathers experience, concentrates attention, and shapes a sense of wholeness.
When a person is alone, this configuration seems natural. Consciousness orients itself along an internal vertical: thought returns to itself, contemplation has a center, and the world is arranged around this center as a field of phenomena. Everything that enters experience already falls into this coordinate system. Things, events, memories, even one’s own emotions appear in a space where the axis is already set.
In such a situation, the horizontal is effectively devoid of its own power. It is merely an extension of the field of perception. What lies outside has no independent gravity; it is merely positioned relative to the subject’s center. The world looks ordered because all order stems from a single source.
When another person arrives
The appearance of the Other changes this situation radically. Another person does not enter experience in the way things do. A thing can be positioned, described, and understood as an element among other elements. The Other resists such inclusion. Their presence brings with it its own point of gravity. Instead of one center, a second one arises.
At this moment, the very geometry of the world changes. Space is no longer organized around a single pole. A field emerges between two centers, and this new configuration inevitably affects the subject’s axis. The vertical, which previously seemed stable, begins to feel tension. Not because of weakness, but because of a change in the structure of the environment in which it exists.
What happens to silence
An encounter with the Other is often described in terms of dialogue, mutual understanding, or empathy. But on a fundamental level, it has a much less harmonious character. The subject’s internal structure initially reacts to the Other as a disturbance.
The closed silence that previously functioned as an internal center proves to be opened. Another presence appears within it, one that is not fully subject to control. This is experienced as a loss of complete self-sufficiency.
This experience can be described as a kind of intrusion into internal order. Not through the Other’s aggression, but through the very fact of their existence nearby. The presence of another person changes the structure of silence. What previously belonged only to the subject can no longer remain a completely private space.
The egocentric structure is not ready to easily cede part of its own space. It strives to preserve the old symmetry, where the center is singular and stable. However, this resistance is incapable of restoring the previous configuration. Silence ceases to be a closed reservoir of inner life and turns into a field where at least two orientations are present.
The face that addresses you
Here, the radical nature of the Levinasian concept of the “Face” becomes clear. The Face cannot be viewed as an object among other objects. It does not simply occupy a place in space. Its appearance disturbs the very order of places.
The Face addresses. This means it introduces a dimension of address that cannot be reduced to simple positioning. A thing can be placed in a coordinate system; an address cannot simply be positioned. It changes the configuration of space itself. Because of this, the Other’s face destroys the closed nature of inner silence. The Other’s gaze creates a new line of tension running between two presences.
The tilted vertical
This new configuration can be described through the image of an inclined vertical. We are not talking about the disappearance of the axis, but about a shift in its position. The vertical ceases to be a straight pillar standing independently of everything else. It enters a system of mutual tensions. Its position is now determined not only by the subject’s internal structure but also by the presence of the Other.
- Loss of equilibrium: from a physical point of view, an incline means a loss of equilibrium. The structure requires additional force to keep from falling.
- Constant compensation: a straight pillar holds itself up thanks to its own mass and symmetry. An inclined structure requires constant adjustment. The world is no longer supported by a single center; its stability depends on the ability to withstand mutual gravity.
The silence that existed before this event was closed. After the appearance of the Other, silence turns into a space of co-presence. Such silence is less calm but more saturated with reality. It arises from the constant maintenance of distance and closeness at the same time.
The weight you carry for another
When a gravitational field arises between two presences, it acquires weight. This weight is felt as a load on the subject’s own structure. The vertical no longer maintains only its own existence. It is forced to support the equilibrium of the space between two people. This creates a new type of tension, which can be compared to the load on a spine.
The spine in the body enables the ability to stand vertically. But when an additional weight is placed upon it, the structure begins to work differently: muscles tense, equilibrium requires constant adjustment, every movement becomes more complex.
The world between two people does not remain neutral – it acquires density. This is where the inclined vertical shows its true complexity. It is not just a symbol of reciprocity. It is a state of constant tension.
What holding on looks like
Sometimes this tension becomes almost unbearable. Every vertical has a limit beyond which it can break. An encounter with the Other always contains this risk. However, it is precisely in this risk that a new form of resilience manifests. The world no longer rests on one pillar. Its equilibrium arises thanks to the ability to withstand an incline.
In such a state, the vertical ceases to be a symbol of self-sufficiency. It becomes a gesture of holding a space where at least two points of gravity are present. The meaning of standing changes: it is no longer about ideal straightness, but about the ability to remain on one’s feet in a situation where the equilibrium is constantly shifting.
In such a world, verticality means not ideal stability, but endurance in conditions of tilt.