Can anyone help me understand this quote.....?

Question

"others echo off of us, into us, back off of us, into others"

- Ravi Lauri

Answer 1

I think this quote means other people have an impact on us and help develop our personalities.  We are then able to share the knowledge that we received from others and share it with the world.

Answer 2

The quote is describing the "butterfly effect" of human interaction.

The butterfly effect says that a butterfly flapping its wings in China might create a small air disturbance whose resonant effects result in a thunderstorm in America. The butterfly effect is a big component in Chaos Theory.

Answer 3

It refers to the exchange of ideas and actions in any society.

Anything you do or say affects those around you, and their

actions/reactions affect you and others.

"No man is an island" says basically the same thing more succinctly.

Answer 4

perhaps everything is one. i am you, you are me, and we are a tree that is us. in other words we all seem to be separate entities but we are really all of one universal consciousness. actually, this whole concept is new to me too. the places to start researching this kind of thing would be quantum physics and philosophy. good luck on life's journey : )

Answer 5

I think Lauren is pretty well on target.  I notice that I tend to be very easily aggravated by people who share my shortcomings.  I have little patience with people who remind me of aspects of myself that I don't like.  I also find that I tend to find myself often surrounded by people who reflect these traits to me that I really need to be honest with myself about and do something about.  

There are also ways in which I absorb the characteristics of others.  They echo into me.  As I see people behaving in  a certain way, the more time I spend with them, the more I will tend to act like them.  This is a reason we we want to surround ourselves with people we admire, whom we look up to.  

People echo off of us in the sense that we tend to behave in ways that are directly related to others' behavior.  When others become nice, we act nicer.  When they are mean, we tend to respond with hostility.  So that third part, reflecting back off of us becomes really important.  If someone is treating me poorly in response to my rough treatment of them, I need to stop and honestly ask myself who started it.  More often than I like to admit, it was me.

when others echo us into others, I have to take responsibility for the ripple-effect of my behavior.  I need to realize that my treatment of another person will not only affect that person, but also people they will encounter.  When I put negative energy out into the world, it travels, coloring the world darker.  Perhaps I'm better off putting out more positive energy instead....