I_it i u i Thou

I-Thou, I-You, I-It The great Chasidic poet, philosopher and theologian Martin Buber wrote that there were three types of relating.

"I-Thou" relating, where people treat others as genuine equals in every way - as though others' welfare was in every respect at least as important as their own.

"I-You" relating, where people don't quite consider others as 'full equals' but consider them to have rights and feelings, and try to take them into account.

"I-It" relating, where others are considered objects, and treated like things.