An important role, however, is played by the following distinction, which is a thematic one: on the one hand persons (not only other persons but also possibly I myself) are thematic as objects as objects belonging to the surrounding world which is already pregiven to the practical ego, practical in the broadest sense,.e., concrete, living wakefuUy into the world and are thus thematic as being of the surrounding world in the full sense, as objects to which something happens, objects which one finds existing in the surrounding world, which one sees but has nothing to do with, nothing in common with: they are here and over there like mere things; perhaps what is especially in question here is the external seeing and understanding of the other without becoming intimately familiar with him, living with him.