How To Change Your Self-concept & Become Your True Self E-Book

Martin Fort

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 260

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Living authentically requires aligning your self-concept—the collection of beliefs you hold about yourself—with your true self. This book helps you recognize and release the conditioning patterns of your false identity that no longer serve you, allowing your true self to emerge naturally.

This is a practical journey where the path is the destination. We don’t need to reach any particular outcome, because in this way, we will never arrive at the truth. It's about experiencing your true self, your natural effortless state, and being ''present'' at any given moment.

It is about transcending our mind and body to arrive at the truth. it's about experiencing your true self, your true being at any given moment. It is an invitation to explore the depths of your being, where your true self resides. It's a continuous process of shedding the layers of your false identity until you arrive at the truth—your most authentic self.

This book also offers various techniques to navigate this process. Self-inquiry, through practices like contemplative introspection, encourages a deeper examination of one's own inner nature. On the other hand, effortless attention helps release any internal resistance by directing attention to different parts of the body.

A NEW WAY OF BEING

This book explores an effortless "natural" state, where the right action naturally emerges. It's about allowing life to unfold rather than forcing outcomes, emphasizing intentionality over apathy.

The "new way of being" is a state of inner alignment with our true nature. This involves three steps: recognition, realization, and acceptance of our true self from within.

Step 1: Recognize Your True Self (Mind & Self-Knowledge)

Focus: Mind, Thoughts, Self-Knowledge

State: Peace of Mind

Process: This initial step involves cultivating peace of mind through self-knowledge. By examining your thoughts and mental patterns, you begin to recognize intellectually that your identity is deeper than your fleeting thoughts or ego constructs. The affirmation here is conceptual: "I think I understand what I AM." This recognition forms the foundation.

Step 2: Realize Your True Self (Heart & Self-Trust)

Focus: Heart, Feelings, Self-Trust

State: Inner Knowing

Process: Building on recognition, this stage engages the heart and feelings. It involves developing self-trust by tuning into your intuition and inner sensations. This allows you to move beyond mere intellectual understanding to a deeper, felt realization of your true nature. The affirmation becomes more personal and felt: "I feel that I AM".

Step 3: Reveal Your True Self (Spirit & Self-Acceptance)

Focus: Spirit, Attitudes, Self-Acceptance

State: Embodiment / Being

Process: The culmination is full self-acceptance and embodiment. This step involves integrating your recognized and realized truth into your physical presence and attitudes. You learn to fully accept yourself and allow your authentic nature to reveal itself through your actions and way of being in the world. The affirmation is complete integration: "I AM that I AM". You are simply living your truth.

TRUE PURPOSE

We often chase goals based on our external expectations. But what if true fulfillment lies not in what we achieve, but in who we are?

We often think purpose is a big, important job or a grand achievement we have to chase in the future. But this book suggests that just being truly you, right here, right now, is the most important purpose there is. It’s about showing up authentically in each small moment. Your purpose isn't something you find "out there"; it's how you choose to be right where you are. Your way of being is your purpose.

Leseprobe

How To Change Your Self-concept & Become Your True Self

First Edition

© 2025 by Martin Fort

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

www.be-true-self.com

ISBN: 979-8-89686-974-0

Introduction

Being your true self isn't about any particular identity with which we often identify. Such identities frequently generate a misleading perception of self, acting as a mask that hides your authentic nature.

This book, "How To Change Your Self-Concept & Become Your True Self," is a journey of unveiling. It's about recognizing and releasing the conditioning patterns of your false identity that no longer serve you, allowing your true self to emerge naturally.

It is an invitation to explore the depths of your being, where your true self resides. It's a continuous process of shedding the layers of your false identity until you arrive at the truth—your most authentic self.

To understand this process further, you need to see the whole picture. It happens in cycles, non-linearly, and without a plan. It's like building a house without blueprints. You begin construction without knowing the final result, but you keep moving forward. It's like a jigsaw puzzle: as you place pieces, the image clarifies, even with many blind spots still remaining. You maintain faith in completing the whole thing. Changing your self-concept towards inner alignment with your true self can’t be done in any other way, but you will realize this while reading this book.

Changing Your Self-concept

Living authentically requires aligning your self-concept—the collection of beliefs you hold about yourself—with your true self. Only faith in your inner potential can reshape your self-concept and your identity that you identify as yourself towards becoming more of who you really are.

The goal is not any particular outcome, but rather our state in any given moment. When we enter this state, we experience an inner knowing that we are one with everything. This is sometimes called the unity of mind and heart, where our conscious and subconscious selves work together in harmony. Changing our self-concept is no longer about doing anything from the ego’s perspective, but rather about experiencing and being the most authentic version of ourselves.

By purposefully and repeatedly entering this state, and by having faith in the revelation of our true selves, we become that. This isn't blind faith in something external; it's faith in your core being. You may not see it yet; you may not believe that it exists, but it is there.

When you really connect with your true self, you start to feel deeply connected to everything and everyone – like you're part of something much bigger. This book helps you find your way to feeling that connection, not just thinking about it. It shows you how the journey itself is the goal. You don't have to wait until you reach some future point to feel fulfilled. The peace, the clarity, the authenticity you find while you're learning and growing – that's the state you've been looking for all along. By living as your true self right now, in this moment, you suddenly realize that you already are what you were searching for. It’s a powerful shift from constantly striving to simply being.

So, the real point isn't just to understand what "true self" means in your head. Anyone can read about it. The goal is to actually live it, to feel it in your bones, to be your most genuine self day in and day out. We often think purpose is a big, important job or a grand achievement we have to chase in the future. But this book suggests that just being truly you, right here, right now, is the most important purpose there is. It’s about showing up authentically in each small moment. Your purpose isn't something you find "out there"; it's how you choose to be right where you are. Your way of being is your purpose.

Life’s Purpose

In a world that constantly pushes us to achieve, to strive, to become someone else, this book offers a radical alternative: to discover and embody your true self.

We often chase goals based on our external expectations. But what if true fulfillment lies not in what we achieve, but in who we are?

When we are dissatisfied with our lives and current circumstances, we often try to escape them by pursuing some goals. We strive for distant future goals, forgetting to live in the present moment. We believe that achieving these goals will fulfil our destiny. The problem is that our future aspirations may not align with our current self-concept; we are not at one with them. We feel separate from our goals, and when we pursue them, our self-concept is not aligned with our true being. This creates resistance.

Our self-concept is how we identify ourselves—our prior self-knowledge and everything we associate with ourselves. The problem is that this self-perception often doesn't align with our goals, leading us to strive for them through sheer effort. We are not true to ourselves; we are not true to our being. We try to force the achievement of our goals, and this causes suffering.

Our being, our inner self, needs to be aligned with our goals. We need to feel a sense of oneness when pursuing our purpose. It is an expansion of your being towards oneness. Nothing outside of yourself is affected.

We don't need to strive for a false, idealized identity pictured in the distant future. We need to release limiting patterns associated with this false identity until we arrive at the truth—our true self.

Ideal Self

Dissatisfaction with our current circumstances often motivates us to change our lives. We set goals and envision a future self while being dedicated to improvement.

However, focusing on specific goals can be limiting, preventing openness to unexpected opportunities.

We become closed off to new possibilities, fixated on our chosen path, and clinging to our dreams, fearing that letting go equates to failure. In this way, we try to protect a false identity that we’ve built, and prove our worth through achievement.

We know we must change—transforming our identity towards our ideal. We assume that we must realign our present self-concept with that ideal.

Our identity is our self-concept—a set of beliefs we hold. To realign with that ideal, we usually envision it and work towards it with effort. We create a life plan and hope it unfolds as desired.

The truth is that we don't have to constantly hope and strive for future attainment. We impose many limitations on ourselves by creating ideals viewed from our limited perspective.

We want to achieve our goals and fulfill our dreams, hoping life unfolds as desired. We always want, need, and hope for something from the limited perspective of our self-identified character. We believe that achieving our goals and fulfilling our dreams will finally bring happiness. The problem is that trying to achieve something that feels separate from ourselves will never bring lasting fulfillment.

If we want to feel whole within, we need to be one with the object of our desires. We need to experience oneness with the source.

The truth is that we cannot expand beyond our source. What is that source? What is that ever-present essence within? It is the essence of God.

From our limited perspective, we cannot see that our ideal is a limitation we unconsciously impose on ourselves.

Higher Vision

Our ideal is not necessarily God’s ideal. Why not envision our source, our higher self—our most authentic self? We should embody this higher self and its inherent qualities, which are already present within us. We can embody it only when we change our perspective, seeing everything from a higher point of view. We let go of our three-dimensional persona and expand towards the fifth dimension, beyond time and space, where our true self resides.

By exploring the nature of reality, we learn to identify not with our false self—our three-dimensional persona—but with our inner qualities of being that are already present within.

Therefore, changing our self-concept doesn't require striving and effort. It's about finding our true self, realizing that self from within, and accepting that as ourselves. Either way, it doesn’t require effort because we already are that self. We are only unaware of our true nature.

The Nature of Reality

In our modern society, we believe in an objective 3D reality—one that we can see and touch. We believe in tangible things that can be supported by facts. When we encounter a different perspective, we simply dismiss it as non-factual.

Can you imagine something existing beyond this 3D reality? Can you imagine higher-evolved beings? Is it possible that our reality is not what we think it is?

Perception of The World

We perceive a clear separation between objects and ourselves in our 3D reality. The oneness of all is not visible because we cannot see who we truly are. We are interconnected as one. There is one substance and one state of mind encompassing everything, including us. "We" includes more than just mind and body; consciousness is also present.

We perceive the world through our state of consciousness. This state, combined with our self-concept, shapes our perception. Different arrangements of this state create different perspectives. If you identify with your ego, your perspective will be ego-based, perceiving the world through self-importance.

False Identity

Our identity is a self-concept that we identify as ourselves. This identification with our character stems from past memories. You recall your name being repeated countless times, years of work, and instances of illness. You identify with your name, profession, and experiences of sickness.

We often identify with our minds and bodies, believing this defines us. But there's more to us than our physical body. We have several other layers of our mental, energetic, and spiritual existence. The combined function of mind, energy, and spirit—a wave-like entity—is an infinite living mind. It's a mind in constant motion, flowing through space.

A fundamental challenge we often face is identifying primarily with our minds and bodies, remaining unaware of our deeper, true nature. This attachment to denser, more limited aspects of ourselves can lower our energetic vibration, leading to negative feelings and sensations.

While we may instinctively resist these uncomfortable states, they signal limiting patterns and unresolved aspects within us. The path to peace involves transcending identification with our ego and integrating the life lessons these challenges present.

This inner work requires mastering different facets of ourselves because they are interconnected as one.

Mentally, it requires cultivating awareness of our thoughts without identifying with them to release patterns like anger, bitterness, and resentment. Energetically, we also need to learn to work with our inner energy and emotions to dissipate fear and cultivate calmness. Spiritually, we cultivate inner growth by refining our attitudes and responses to overcome arrogance or pride and engage skillfully with life. These three aspects—mind, energy, and spirit—form a unified whole. These aspects are interconnected as one.

Once we recognize the interconnectedness of all things, we find that it’s our inner core that influences the other layers of ourselves and not the other way around.

To restore balance within ourselves, we need to recognize the causal element within ourselves.

Our inner qualities of being are our inner essence. We need to embody that essence already present within and live as that.

Finding Your True Self

When we begin reflecting on the nature of self, we are essentially connecting with our inner core, our inner most authentic essence that is always present within.

To achieve alignment is to consciously connect with and express this core self, allowing our lives to unfold with greater harmony and purpose.

Finding your true self isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is maintaining unwavering faith when everything seems to go wrong and continuing to move forward when you're ready to give up and revert to your old way of life. The difficulty arises when you know theoretically what you should be doing, but lack clarity when you need it most. You're suddenly in a blind spot, subconsciously aware that your ego has taken over, but unable to understand how to escape it because everything seems blurry.

Reconnecting with our true self is done through introspection into our own being and perspective shifts. Meditation is the way to re-establish this connection.

To reach your true self, present within, you must penetrate deep within the layers of our subtle body and cease all the activity to arrive at the truth. It’s less about trying to change something on the outside and more about letting go of all the outer effort. You can’t reconnect to your true self from the perspective of your self-identified character. You need to transcend all the mind and body activity to arrive at the truth. If you are trying to figure it out from your mind, using your limited intellectual understanding; it is as if you use something outside of yourself to determine the truth. Your true nature can’t be understood; it needs to be experienced with your whole being.

Practical Exercises To Navigate The Process

This book offers various techniques to navigate this process. Self-inquiry, through practices like journaling or contemplative introspection, encourages a deeper examination of one's beliefs, motivations, and emotional responses. On the other hand, effortless attention helps release any internal resistance by directing attention to different parts of the body.

After reading this book, you might pause on concepts like the effortless state, surrender, and the practice of non-doing, questioning how a 40,000-word book could be written in a state of non-doing. The secret is to stop pushing and allow information to come to you. You don't force things; you dance with life as a partner. You can't demand a dance partner move a certain way; you flow naturally with grace and dignity, responding to each movement. Life is your partner and not a hostage that you are threatening if things don’t go your way.

Beyond Perspective

Our state of consciousness provides a unique point of view or perspective through which we see the world. Prior self-knowledge—derived from past experiences, memories, and associated feelings—shapes our perception. Everyone's perception is unique, and everyone possesses their own subjective truth. While the magnitude of time can be precisely measured, its experience is relative; everyone feels and experiences it differently. The objective world and our subjective experience are inseparable; they are interdependent.

Imagine two people running for 20 minutes in a park. For one, this experience might feel like a moment; for the other, it might feel like an eternity. The first person may have experienced a state of flow, complete immersion in the activity. Crucially, both had their own subjective truth about the run. These experiences will then influence how each person views the world and their self-concept.

Exploring Different Points of View

Self-concept is the concept that we identify as ourselves. Our state of consciousness and our worldview are influenced by our self-knowledge. We all have a unique first-person perspective. Even when we collect data from other people, it remains filtered through a first-person perspective.

The data you collect from others, and your unique point of view, will be influenced by your prior experiences. Therefore, in a scientific experiment asking two runners about their experience, their answers will be influenced by your unique subjective experience, even in the act of data collection. You collect two pieces of information: for the first runner, the experience was flawless; for the second, it was a disaster.

When collecting their responses, you are influenced not only by their appearance, speech, and overall demeanor, but also by your previous experiences with running and similar types of people, whom you may unconsciously categorize similarly. Moreover, you see what you want to see; you are looking for a confirmation of your internal beliefs. Our experience is entirely subjective; collecting data does not provide a third-party perspective. Third-party perspective is essentially our perspective.

You might perceive other people agreeing with your opinions and you think to yourself: "Others are seeing it the same way. We can agree that this chair is undeniably red." In fact, there are no others. It is only your agreement with yourself projected outward.

It remains your unique experience because, before we perceive an image of our experience, it is first evaluated by consciousness. How it is evaluated depends on our current state of consciousness. You can only observe your own experience and then make judgments about it. You can be your own scientist, researching your own first-person perspective. Truth lies in your point of view and the data you collect. What you observe in our 3D reality will demonstrate who you are as a person.

Start observing your objective reality; you will see yourself in it. Take a journal and begin documenting any negative thoughts, events, and situations. Be your own scientist and recognize your current inner state in relation to these events and situations. Are you angry at some people because of past actions? Are you sad, as if something is missing in your life? Do you feel unworthy, constantly apologizing unnecessarily? Pause for a moment and recognize your current state; write it down in your journal. If you do this regularly, you will see patterns emerge in your life. Once you clearly see these repeating patterns, you will be able to let them go.

You are what you experience because you cannot separate your subjective experience from objective reality. Your subjectivity is interwoven with objective reality. Observe and study objective reality; you will learn about yourself. But you cannot prove this to others; proof resides only in your perspective.

You can't prove your truth to others because it's only an internal belief. Convincing others suggests a lack of self-assurance in your own convictions. We often seek this external validation, as if something is missing within us and we're searching for it outside ourselves. We are also afraid of the judgment that would come thereafter if we are denied by other people, because it almost feels like we are denied by a part of ourselves. From a historical perspective, it would mean being kicked out of your social group, tribe, or society, and not many people have the guts or are even willing to risk that. That’s why everybody plays by the same social or cultural norms and what’s accepted by everyone else.

Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," from "The Republic", powerfully illustrates our inherent lack of self-awareness. Imagine prisoners chained from birth deep within a cave, facing a blank wall. Unable to move their heads, they see only the flickering shadows cast by a fire behind them. A walkway above, and the fire itself, remain unseen, completely outside their perceived reality. These shadows, then, become their entire world; the prisoners mistake these fleeting images for true reality, unaware of the deeper, more substantial truth beyond their limited perspective. Their inability to turn reveals a profound lack of self-awareness, as they are unaware of their own limitations and the true nature of existence.

The Quest for Acceptance

We often accept our own limitations in order to fit in.

In our modern society, we often believe in objective truth, requiring evidence for acceptance from others. However, this belief assumes that everyone has the same experience and perception of reality. Therefore, tangible proof is often considered absolute truth.

When writing a nonfiction book, the author often attempts to persuade the reader of their truth by presenting evidence and the opinions of others. The more evidence gathered to support their point, the stronger the argument becomes. Authors often cite studies from scientific articles or quotes from other books, essentially seeking confirmation from reputable sources.

To become your true self, you can't play by someone else's rules; you need to do something unique, something no one has done before. If you do, you will be well rewarded, because the universe appreciates the brave. You can't be afraid of judgment from society, colleagues, family, and friends if you share your opinion. It's easy to belong to a group sharing widely accepted opinions, but being an outsider is not easy. You are supposed to be unique, exist outside established systems and cultural norms that suppress any aspiration to be different.

Acting like everyone else, instead of being your true self, is a significant limitation. Following the same trends, wearing the same clothes, adopting the same habits, and treading the same path prevents you from embracing your uniqueness. Our true nature is to be unique; individuality is rare and precious, like a diamond. Just as no two trees are identical in nature, each following its own unpredictable path, so too are we all unique. We possess our inner qualities of being; that is who we are. Our inner being is our true self. It is also our purpose; becoming these inner qualities of being; becoming our true self.

By conforming, you protect a false identity, going against your natural and authentic self. When you don't act naturally, you are operating from your ego, protecting a fabricated concept that doesn't exist.

Your perspective is unique, and you can only truly understand and experience the world from your own viewpoint. When evaluating the opinions of others, it's crucial to consider whether they resonate with your own truth and your unique perspective.

If you want to become your true self, you can’t seek acceptance from the majority, automatically taking their beliefs, opinions and established norms as fact.

Accepting only the ideas and opinions of others, especially authority figures, confines you to a so-called safety zone where you can‘t realize anything else. In this way, you are putting huge limitations on yourself because you are operating only within your scarcity mindset and safety boundaries. You are afraid to do, think, and be something else because of the perceived judgment. Therefore, you protect only a false identity, blindly following beliefs that contradict your core values.

You can realize an idea only through your own unique experience, not by collecting information and opinions from others. You need that direct experience that would open your eyes to the truth and change you internally. We often blindly accept others' opinions solely based on their credentials, later creating many limiting beliefs for ourselves. The problem is that we don't clearly see it for ourselves because we haven't personally realized it.

Collecting information or data from an outside source is not inherently "false knowledge," but rather unprocessed or undigested knowledge. Merely memorizing information does not lead to internal change or alter one's self-concept, internal beliefs, or understanding of oneself.

We've all encountered seemingly intelligent people who, despite knowing study materials, struggle to explain them because they lack a clear personal understanding. This is likely because they haven't applied the material to real-life situations.

Accumulating vast amounts of knowledge can also foster a boosted ego, leading to perfectionism, arrogance, and pride, stemming from a belief in one's own superior knowledge. This creates a self-concept of "I AM knowledgeable".

You need to see everything in relation to yourself; your self-concept is always relative to your external environment, events, people, and situations. A self-concept can change through a realization arising from direct experience. In this way, you'll no longer rely solely on external information, which may be inaccurate.

When we wholeheartedly develop layers upon layers of our false identity over years, it is then difficult to let go.

If you are identifying as a philosopher that has never been relying on evidence based facts, then it will be very difficult for you to change your opinion about that. You’ve already built your identity around it "I AM philosopher" and rely mainly on reason, logic, and conceptually understanding of more fundamental questions. You will not suddenly let go of being a philosopher.

Resistance to change often stems from a deeply ingrained, false sense of self cultivated over time. It's difficult to abandon beliefs and behaviors wholeheartedly embraced for years, especially when they feel integral to one's identity.

Insisting on the truth of false knowledge and the opinions of others can lead you astray. You follow it only because your intellect justifies it. We accumulate many false beliefs and concepts that distract us from our true nature, creating a discord between our self-concept and our being. We build a false identity, often difficult to change because of our need to be right. This false knowledge hinders your progress; look within yourself.

The Art of Being

The opposite of knowledge is knowing, which arises from your being. It's the core of who you are, emerging naturally from your center without conscious thought. It is our instinctual self, our ability to discern right from wrong. This is not the identity we've developed over the years, but rather our inner essence.

When you first learn to drive a car, you're unsure of yourself and must consciously think about each step. However, after practice, driving becomes automatic. This occurs when you realize you're an experienced driver and find driving easy. At that moment, your self-concept aligns with your experience. You've changed your self-concept, but not the core of who you are. We all have different perspectives, but they aren't always true reflections of our being. Your perspective on driving will differ greatly from mine because you can't know my past experiences and self-knowledge regarding driving.

If you can't see my truth, that doesn't necessarily make my truth less true, because it's subjective. The subjectivity of life is nicely illustrated by the parable of the blind men and the elephant.

Imagine five blind men encountering an elephant for the first time. Each touches a different part of the animal, forming an understanding based on their limited, subjective experience. Men's description of the elephant differs greatly, leading each man to suspect the others are dishonest and that only his version is the absolute truth.

The moral objective is that all perspectives could be equally valid, and trying to prove one's limited, subjective experience is futile. If you're ready to learn a lesson, you'll understand it clearly; if not, you won't, and this won't violate your free will. You may realize it later in life, or not at all.

The Paradox of Free Will

Free will is a concept that exists only in our three-dimensional reality. It is not absolutely given to each individual because we lack self-awareness. We are dreamers unaware of our own experiences. How much free will does a character have in a dream?

Free will, in a relative sense, can be seen as violated when we impose our will on others. We need to take actions without trying to possess or control. We often try to possess or control others because they don’t comply with our own will. This happens often in relationships. Understanding our own will allows us to see this more clearly. We are imposing a causal element—our own will—that influences another's spiritual path. This inner will, a spiritual element, can harm others. It manifests as our inner attitudes towards them. Harmful intent, not merely actions or appearances, is the crucial factor.

We are constantly presented with choices in life: light or darkness, good or evil, right or wrong, love or hate.

We can choose to either impose our will on others, or let others impose their will on us. This is sometimes called karma because our spiritual element is affected in this way.

Our destiny is who we are—our inner qualities of being, not what we do. You have a choice to be your true self, the highest attainable destiny. How do you reach that destiny? Through your choices, you can choose to identify with your ego or your inner qualities of being, your purpose.

In the teacher-student scenario, it always seems like a teacher is teaching students for their own benefit. This is generally perceived positively. However, if a teacher imposes his will on students, in this way his inner intentions are not good. He is trying to teach them his way. This is especially true when the teacher perceives himself as superior and the students as someone who must submit to his will. In modern society, this perceived superiority is often considered a norm, something to be admired in teachers.

True teaching does not occur in a teacher-student scenario, where the student is reporting to the teacher, and the teacher is giving a lecture to the student. True teaching happens effortlessly and spontaneously, without force. It involves clarifying what students already know, enabling them to see it clearly for themselves. We are supposed to experience life and learn effortlessly, not with someone else imposing rules.

When we violate someone's free will, we reveal something outside their current self-concept—something they haven't yet realized. In reality, it's simply a difference in our identities and how we perceive ourselves. When you encounter someone with different beliefs and behaviors, you shouldn't judge them or offer unsolicited advice, unless they ask for it. They may not see it as help, but as an attack. Therefore, if you see people complaining about the government, reading gossip, or expressing anger, don't try to teach them what to do simply because you think you know better. Instead, try to understand them from a broader perspective and offer sincere compassion; they will likely appreciate it.

If you disagree with anything above, you're likely upset or judgmental. We protect our past identities and beliefs by clinging to opinions we've held. It's like telling a child Santa Claus doesn't exist; a child would be angry because they strongly believe in Santa. Telling them otherwise attacks their belief system—the core of their identity and their past experiences. At this point, I can't and shouldn't try to convince you of anything; you need to realize it yourself.

The problem is that we accumulate a vast amount of misinformation, which prevents us from seeing the truth. You may have already made a decision to follow it in the past, and now it's very difficult to change your opinion because you want to be right. There are two types of people in the world: those who are open-minded and those who judge others because the others don't align with their self-concept. We need to learn to be compassionate towards others.

This parable about the "fish" in the sea encourages us to understand each fish's perspective, rather than judging them, and to compare their differing viewpoints. Are we certain that no other species possesses a higher perspective than humanity?

Imagine a first fish, the smartest in the sea; this fish knows everything from a fish's perspective. Now imagine a second fish who had an extraordinary experience: she was pulled from the sea by an inexplicable force. The first fish doesn't believe in forces outside the sea because it's the only world she knows. Her logic dictates that if other forces existed, there would be proof or evidence. What is real: what we see, or what we feel and experience?

The second fish believes a force exists outside her underwater world; this experience altered her perspective. She cannot see or prove this force, yet her belief remains unshaken, impervious to any amount of knowledge about the sea. The first fish, possessing all the knowledge available within the sea, but lacks the transformative experience to understand the truth. Her limited perspective prevents her from perceiving anything beyond her underwater world.