My duty to my self, My duty to you

Those qualities that distinguish me from you,
The I that is by definition all that is not you,
Exists because of you.

You who may be but a fleeting encounter,
Or a significant other.
You, who imprint your self upon the world,
As the world imprints itself upon you,
Each shaping the other.
The very same world that shapes
And is shaped by my self.
You, who realize my self
As I realize your self.

Is not then my duty to my self -
the imperative of self preservation -
On a continuum with my duty to you.