Harmony in Relationships: Profound Understandings from Hierocles’ Circle and Confucius’ Words

The simplest concepts often conceal profound thinking.

Hierocles’ circles are a philosophical metaphor, a model of human relationships and interactions, a concept developed by Hierocles of Alexandria, a Stoic philosopher from the 2nd century AD.

The graphic representation of the concept involves a series of concentric circles, each representing a different level of relationship.

The outermost circle represents the relationship with oneself. It includes all thoughts, feelings, emotions, words we speak, and our actions.

The next circle represents the relationship with family and close friends. This circle includes people with whom we have close relationships and who are closest to us.

The next level represents the relationship with the community we belong to. It includes people with whom we have more distant relationships but who are still important to us. Such as those with whom we go for a morning run or walk their dog. We acknowledge them, maybe smile and greet them, and that’s where the interaction ends. There are many such communities. For example, the community of tango or salsa dancers, the community of model car or ship enthusiasts. One person can be part of multiple communities.