Identify something to them

Question

Hi!The meaning of the "identify the other’s Wholeness to them" in the following sentence is "to identify and to let them know their wholeness"?"The purpose was to identify the other’s Wholeness to them".

Enoon · Accepted Answer

It's probably mystical nonsense dreamed up to make you feel like they're more spiritual than you are.

Pructus · Answer

Thanks enoon...

But I believe the one who expressed that sentence.

Just as a native speaker, what that feels to you?

I mean, the meaning...

Enoon · Answer

I was trying to be tactful. It is mystical nonsense. It has no meaning at all that I can find. You can't identify a wholeness to anybody. And who is the other, and who are "them"?

Pructus · Answer

The other means, your brothers or sisters or neighbors.

The structure is "identify A to a person".

So, as "I identified my name to him" means "I told him my name",
then the sentence might be able to mean, letting them know that they are whole?

Is this kind of logic unacceptable to your ears?

Enoon · Answer

Logic is not the problem. Meaninglessness is. We can't even have logic unless we use understandable language. The sentence "I will identify my wholeness to you" is nonsense, pure and simple. You asked. I am a lifelong native speaker and no dummy, and I'm answering you.

Pructus · Answer

I see... I see....

Thanks a lot, enoon...

Your firm answer is a great input for me.

CalifJim · Answer

pructusThe purpose was to identify the other’s Wholeness to them

Grammatically and semantically, I believe that 'identify' is the wrong verb.

We don't "identify (something) to (somebody)". More likely, We "reveal (something) to (somebody)".

What anyone's "Wholeness" is is another question -- and not a grammatical one, so I can't help you there. To answer it would require a great deal more context than we can handle on a grammar forum, and even then the results might be inconclusive.

CJ

Pructus · Answer

Oh, thanks, CalifJim!!

I presumed the sentence was expressed by some highly spiritual being, but actually it was spoken by someone who follows the spiritual being. But I feel that someone must be a native speaker of Enlish and also the one who put down into writing was also a native speaker, too. Because the gathering is being taken place in North West part of America.

As I studied this material, I know the meaning of "Wholeness" or "temporarily have more" and other all concepts, but....

If "identify something to someone" sounds "un-English", then how does the following full paragraph sound to you? I have an impression that they can't be some kind of less intellectual people, because if so, they wouldn't be looking for meaning of life, etc...

"wholeness" here, means "perfectiveness", "nothing lacking", "perfect in himself or herself". Like when *** says "You are whole and you need nothing".

Following is the whole context.....
***
I can see how the thread is weaving into everything with Gift. And I was contemplating on what Raj said at the Leiston Abbey—which I mentioned to Paul earlier today—about the purpose of ***, which was to identify the other’s Wholeness to them. And it occurred to me that every interaction that we have to expand on, that is to identify the other’s Wholeness to them. And that, if that be the case, then there is nothing lacking in that moment between us. And it said here that we temporarily give to those who temporarily have less, but the established bond, or the established realization, is that we have it. We’re coming from a place of having, not a place of not having.

Anyway, I mean I can see how this is really bringing all this . . . I mean it’s not just in a certain situation. It applies to everything! When we interact with each other, we are there to be . . . to identify the other’s Wholeness. And that’s . . . that’s not money, marbles, to everything from what I’m getting from this.

Pructus · Answer

I think I have a clue... It is definitely very esoteric...

"Identify your name to me" means "Reveal your name to me".

So, the sentence "identify the other’s Wholeness to them" should read "let the others know their wholeness", "tell them [you are whole]".

For now, this is the best I can go to.

Thanks again enoon, and Calif Jim...

CalifJim · Answer

pructusFor now, this is the best I can go to.

Well, your analysis seems reasonable to me.

CJ

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