It has often been observed that there are two selves within the human being. There is the sell who is present in the surrounding world—interacting, doing, making, having—and then there is the self watching the self. The false self is a mask we wear for the world, a manufactured product of the ego. It is something we build on and construct throughout life to give ourselves a role to play in the world outside ourselves. The true self, on the other hand, is the higher you, the essential and unchanging part of you. It craves the highest forms of human interaction, such as unconditional love and harmonious unity with others. The struggles of life stem from lack of accord between these two selves, a predicament that arises from humanity’s unique place in the universe.

Human beings are unique among the inhabitants of Earth because we are simultaneously Earth-bound and divine. You have probably noticed how vastly human behavior can differ, ranging from the person who gives all in service of others to the one who violently uses and abuses other people.