Pages of Awareness  

I am not a psychologist, nor do I provide therapy.
This page is meant as a space where I share my personal — and debatable — view of life, through reflections that arose from insights gained during my deep inner journey.
The sole purpose is to offer others the opportunity to look at reality also from my own perspective, and to freely decide whether this vision may be useful — in whole, in part, or, on the contrary, completely unacceptable.

In the midst of the journey of our life (perhaps a little earlier, in my own case),

I too found myself within a darkened wood, where the straight path had been lost. Thorned brambles around me, prowling beasts, and strange echoes — murmuring from afar, whispering deceitful illusions into my sorrowed ears.

At that moment, I had to choose—to remain there, trembling in fear, or to step forth with courage into that dim and dreadful realm, to seek the silver path, the way of magic light. 

Brandon, October 2025

Introduction

Dear readers,
I am truly glad that you are here to read these words of mine.

I regard awareness as one of life’s greatest treasures — a force that can help us fight against the many forms of negativity and distortion that, in the form of thoughts, beliefs, or destructive attitudes, can imprison our soul, dim the light that makes each of us authentic, and limit or even reverse our evolution.

Throughout my life, I have always been a seeker of truth. For as long as I can remember, I cannot recall ever being otherwise. I have always had a curious and lively nature, driven by the desire to understand, to search, and to discover; full of spontaneity and, at times, a kind of disarming innocence.

At every stage of my life, I often found myself being the confidant of those around me, offering advice they considered particularly illuminating. Personally, I wasn’t entirely aware of this aspect of myself — that way of feeling seemed completely natural to me; it had always been part of who I was. Of course, despite this, I too had my fears and insecurities, just like anyone else.

I have had my share of struggles in life, as everyone does. Gradually, I noticed my ability to perceive my inner light fading — especially from the age of eighteen onward. During that time, while I was engaged in a meaningful and enriching course of study, I also began to experience a long and painful illness, which not only afflicted my body but deeply affected my emotional world as well.

I did my best to carry on with strength and courage, but around the age of twenty-five, I suddenly found myself at a standstill — a kind of limbo in which I remained for some time. At a certain point, I told myself I had to get out of it. To do so, I decided to turn my search no longer outward, as I had always done, but inward — toward myself. Gradually, I descended into my own underworld to recover the light of my heart. Its absence had turned my world into a place without sun — dark and frightening.

With courage, I opened the chest in which I had gradually locked away my deepest fears and sorrows, hoping to forget them — but, unfortunately, I had also sealed away much of my vital energy. I began to retrace my past, determined to face every inner demon, no matter the cost.

At first, I felt disoriented. Yet after those uncertain first steps, I happened to meet my own Virgil — a wise guiding spirit who illuminated my path along the way.
This inner journey gradually led me to rediscover my purest essence — that which makes every being alive and unique. Through this experience, I am learning to know my true self and, more broadly, the human soul itself.

The ancients called this The Great Alchemical Work — a symbolic path of transformation of the soul, which, through the integration of the shadow and transcendence, leads to harmony and to the conscious union of the opposing forces within each of us, until we reach the true unity of the Self.

My journey is still only at its beginning, for in the face of existence, I am and will always remain an eternal learner.
(Brandon, October 2025)

That said, Having seen that what I have understood has also been helpful to others, I have decided to share with you the golden seeds I have gathered so far.

I would like to make it clear that what I speak of represents only a part of reality — the portion of the landscape that my own path has allowed me to see. Other people will, of course, perceive different sides of reality according to their own experiences.

Each of you is free to believe or not to believe my words, according to your own experience and perception.

With the hope that at least one of these paragraphs may resonate within you and enrich your awareness, I welcome you into my vision of the world.

(1) What is a language, and what does it truly mean to learn one? (new translation)

A language isn't merely a collection of words and grammar—it's a tool through which we express our way of perceiving and thinking. It's the imprint of a culture, shaped by the lived experiences of its people, by the events that have molded their emotions, and consequently, their soul. By "soul," I mean what stirs within us, making us feel truly alive—the vibrant, flowing part of our being. Each language can be likened to a custom-made garment, tailored specifically to the culture from which it originates, reflecting that culture’s unique and living essence.

This is why learning a language different from our own means acquiring a new personality: each language has its own character, its own energetic identity developed over time. Consequently, once we've genuinely absorbed the essence of another language, we manifest a different personality—our facial expressions change, and we may even speak and behave differently when encountering the same situations, viewing them from the perspective typical of the culture whose language we’re speaking at that moment.

Many people claim, “it’s important to learn the culture as well as the language,” which is true. Yet, often, they view these as two separate elements that somewhat influence each other—an incomplete perception at best. Frequently, people just repeat this idea because someone else said it, and mentally, it “makes sense” to them. Very few genuinely reflect on the profound link between these two aspects. Worse yet, among those people are language teachers, incapable of conveying something they haven't fully—or at least adequately—understood. (Fortunately, there are exceptions.)

Language and culture are intrinsically intertwined, permeating each other so deeply that through language we perceive culture, and through culture we understand the logic behind language. Every language holds a unique vibration that can be felt and decoded.

The real difference doesn't lie in the number of degrees or certificates obtained in linguistics or psychology, but in having embarked on a deep journey within ourselves—aimed at understanding and liberating our soul, which has been suffocated by mental constructs: a set of rules we faithfully follow but never truly observe or question. Everything our parents and teachers teach us becomes our religion. The quality or profound understanding of these teachings matters less than our obedience—and ideally, our unconditional acceptance.

Liberating our soul allows us to reconnect with our sensitivity and perceive the world more clearly and profoundly. Knowing ourselves better helps us better understand the rest of humanity.

It might seem strange or unusual to discuss these things in a language course, but we are studying a “human language.” Humans are part of nature, just as weight is part of lead. Everything we create, especially a language—which expresses our feelings and thoughts—bears nature’s imprint, just as we ourselves do, although sometimes we forget this.

Learning a language while seeing it almost as a being with its own personality allows us to fully grasp its meaning and unique essence, absorbing and making it part of ourselves. Approaching language study mechanically, almost mathematically, filled with fixed, standardized, and rigid patterns, will make the experience burdensome and fruitless. It’s necessary to dive into its world and live it fully, following our emotions and guided by freedom. Observing it only through books or constantly holding onto something out of fear will only make us victims.

Once we understand this, we realize learning a language is far more than just an educational process—it's a true adventure capable of offering us an infinite variety of emotions.

Emotions suit humanity best. Our ability to feel emotions is innate, though humans aren't the only beings possessing this gift. Yet ironically, we are the only ones who perceive our emotions as problems rather than blessings. Indeed, since childhood, we’re often taught to suppress our emotions—to control and suffocate them—especially as we grow older and face increased responsibilities like exams or work. Everything must conform to society's imposed framework.

Freedom makes us real, unique, and original, but above all, it makes us human.

Considering language learning solely as an academic topic is extremely limiting, robbing us of all the beauty this experience has to offer. Learning a language means learning art and science intertwined with history and psychology. It's an intimate and priceless experience—overwhelming and magical in the truest sense of the word—that enables us to break barriers within and outside ourselves and expand our world. It shapes us, granting deeper knowledge and mastery over ourselves. Self-knowledge is a source of inner light that lets us perceive the subtleties of the world, becoming our source of inner strength and confidence.

Certainly, school can play a vital role—especially if teachers are enlightened, as they’ll do their best to help us achieve the utmost from the experience. Yet much depends on us and the attitude we choose in approaching this adventure.

You won’t become a superhero after embarking on this experience—such heroes exist only in comics. But if you live this experience the right way, you’ll discover a part of yourself and the world around you that previously remained hidden.

Brandon - July 2024

(2) The true duty of a teacher (new translation)

A teacher who humiliates or penalizes a student when they’re struggling is not worthy of this profession.

The duty of a teacher is not to use the rod to instill discipline, but to help a sincere student find the light within what is being taught.

Brandon - July 2024 

(3) There is no reason for shame during the learning process

None of us is born knowing how to do things. Everything in nature is in a continuous evolutionary process, each being and element in its own time, including humans—or at least it should be... In many circumstances, from a young age, we are taught that we should feel ashamed when we can't do certain things. But in reality, it's just a baseless belief that everyone accepts without ever truly evaluating it.

Humans are, in fact, the only beings who often make exceptions to this natural logic because we've placed a division between ourselves and nature. We increasingly identify through a set of mental frameworks, many of which have nothing natural (nor logically sound) about them, and only a few of which are healthy. From this perspective, we find ourselves in a process of involution because we pretend (often unconsciously) not to feel like children of the earth but rather children of a society to which we owe obedience.

As a language tutor, I can say that among the various things we seem to find normal to be ashamed of is not being able to speak a new language we are learning. This belief is quite dysfunctional and creates unhealthy effects within those who submit to it. Every skill has undergone an evolutionary process that has forged it through mistakes and direct experimentation; this has already given us dignity. There's nothing else to prove; we just need to continue to evolve with strength and love for ourselves, recognizing our natural rhythm and perhaps finding the way that suits us best to learn, which is fundamental, though often completely ignored.

Brandon - August 2024 

(4) It happens very often but we don't realize it; We even do it to ourselves

Blame an embryo for not yet being a complete being. If it could speak, it would tell you that you're completely out of your mind.

Is one of our developing abilities perhaps different from any embryo?

Give yourself the necessary time to grow in learning everything!

Brandon - August 2024 

(5) A great truth

I have never said that learning a new language is simple, but I have always asserted that it can be a truly exciting experience or a real nightmare, depending on how we choose to live it. When we realize that we are part of nature and that we are all truly interconnected—in fact, we are all part of a whole (including animals and plants)—and all this takes root in our hearts, we understand how barriers are secondary things, even linguistic ones. This is because we all communicate with an invisible energy (that magical understanding you can feel with a dear friend or other people). This type of communication surpasses everything because it is primordial.

But our minds are too busy to notice this, and we have been taught to fear not knowing how to do things and to judge ourselves (so when there is no one in front of us who can criticize us, there is always an inner judge; thus, we are never alone—we are always in the crosshairs of a sniper, which is a stupid and harmful thing). If we base language learning on this awareness and on the flow of human emotion, things we could call magical will start to happen. A part that we currently ignore will begin to function and will help us learn more quickly and more deeply.

I say this because I have experienced it personally.

Brandon - September 2024 

(6) Loving yourself: A journey of Healing and Awareness

Truly loving ourselves is the first step to feeling better because we finally stop criticizing and judging ourselves as a despotic person would. This alone will give us much more energy. Treat yourself as you would treat your best friend or a child. Inside you, there's another you who is often scolded, criticized, humiliated, and sometimes even beaten. We do this to ourselves, but we often don't notice; then we don't understand why we feel frustrated and depleted of energy. But feeling bad under these conditions is absolutely normal.

Love yourself, silence the conditioned mind that sees evil everywhere, make peace with your past and understand it, so that it doesn't pollute your present and doesn't inhibit love and understanding toward yourself and others. Take care of yourself. I hug you tightly!

Brandon - September 2024 

(7) The real source of our fears

When you’re afraid of something or someone, or feel hesitation or a sense of self-devaluation, stop and ask yourself: “What have I forgotten?”
This is an important question because, nine times out of ten, these kinds of weaknesses are caused by past events related to our parents’ attitudes toward us and our relationship with them during childhood or adolescence.

Not everything parents do is truly for our benefit, even though it’s often claimed otherwise. Parents are people just like us, with their strengths and weaknesses, and like all of us, they have mental patterns and fears that can lead to dysfunctional behavior. Not all parents are really ready to be parents, and becoming one places additional pressure and fears on them. Often, they too are victims of their own circumstances, and, lacking a profound inner journey in their lives, they haven’t understood how to truly love themselves—nor how to properly love their children.

A child tends to forget, excuse, or ignore parental behaviors that cause them pain, just to maintain a good relationship with them. As a result, the child continually blames themselves, thinking they are a “bad” child, unworthy of love and approval from anyone, and thus believes they must do something special to earn it.

Providing a child with medical care, education, food, and valuable items does not mean loving them; these are the basic duties of a parent. Truly loving a child means focusing primarily on their real emotional state rather than only their academic performance or career success. Above all, loving a child means: accepting them for who they are, loving them simply because they exist, showing them in countless ways that they are precious just by being in this world, apologizing to them when you’re irritable and take out your anger on them, helping them understand that it’s not their fault if mom or dad are a bit distant, but rather that they’re going through a difficult time. It also means showing them that they are as important as a tree in the forest.

In this way, no one will be able to make them doubt their intrinsic value, because they will have full awareness of it.

Brandon - February 2025

(8) Distorted reality – The world as our family

The way we perceive reality depends greatly on our relationship with our parents, because their regard for us, from childhood onward, shapes our sense of personal worth.

• If they listened to us, respected us, and appreciated us for who we are, we’ll feel worthy of love and see the world as a benevolent place: criticism or negative behavior from others won’t weigh us down much.

• If, on the other hand, they gave us “love” only in exchange for achievements, obedience, or physical appearance, we’ll tie our self-worth to those things and try to please everyone, just as we did with them.

• If they neglected or criticized us when we needed them, or abandoned us to pursue other goals (like a career or money), we’ll assume everyone else will do the same. Any time someone doesn’t respond or is busy, we interpret it as rejection, because we believe we aren’t worth much.

In other words, we project onto others the same attitude we once had toward our parents, and build our view of the world based on how they made us feel.
If the environment around us is fairly calm but we still perceive it as hostile, it’s because we’ve repressed negative memories of our relationship with our parents. In fact, to protect ourselves from pain, we create a separation between the “good parent” and the “bad parent,” forgetting the bad part each time physical or psychological abuse ends.

Furthermore, if we justify the few negative memories we still have by telling ourselves “They did it for my own good,” we’re reaffirming the idea that we deserved the mistreatment, which is absurd. A child who’s lazy might be so because they’re depressed; if they aren’t studying, it could be because their mind is distracted by some difficulty; if they’re always playing video games, it’s because they’re escaping a reality that makes them feel bad. Instead of humiliating or punishing them, parents should reflect on themselves and ask, “What am I doing to my child that makes them feel so miserable? I need to go and ask him.”

But unfortunately, not everyone can do that… Many parents feel like semi-gods… they have an image to protect, even at the cost of their child’s mental health.

If you recognize one or more of these signs in yourself, yet at first glance think you had a happy childhood, stop and reflect, because that might mean you’ve blocked out many events and situations that caused you pain.
A child will do anything to maintain a good relationship with their parents. It’s far easier to believe they are “bad or wrong” — since that means they can still change and be accepted — rather than feel hopeless by admitting they have parents who don’t love them enough or have no idea what they’re doing.

A child’s mind can effectively erase negative events (often even the most serious ones), but the pain remains within us. Once the memories fade, our parents become wonderful or at least decent, and at that point our rational mind can only conclude that the evil we sense must come from the world. This is how the pain from our past haunts our present like a ghost. To varying degrees, it happens to all of us.

Until we open our own Pandora’s box, we’ll go on living in our past every day, and remain unable to feel the unconditional love that people — and nature itself — offer us.

I love you. A big hug!

Brandon - February 2025

(9) A school grade Does Not Define your true worth

If you receive an average grade, you don’t become any less attractive; if you achieve the highest grade, you don’t magically become more beautiful or important. The truth is that no one will remember your grades— not even you. Strangers couldn’t care less, while those who genuinely care about you focus on who you are as a person, not on your academic performance.

Those who truly see you appreciate you for who you are, enjoy your company, and exchange energy with you. On the other hand, anyone who makes a big deal about your grades (parents, relatives, friends…) isn’t really seeing you deeply—and often isn’t even able to recognize their own worth. They’re clinging to a “social ladder” mindset to which they themselves have submitted.

Also remember that a teacher is a person just like you: they have a private life, insecurities, happy moments, and difficult times. Whether we like it or not, a person’s mood influences everything they do, including how they evaluate others. If a teacher is in a bad mood—maybe they had a fight at home, were robbed, or received sad news—they could, without meaning to, project some of their tension onto you, reacting sharply to a small mistake or your shyness. Conversely, if they’re in a peaceful period or something nice has just happened to them, they might encourage you even if they see you’re nervous. (Of course, these are just a few examples and don’t encompass every possible situation.)

In any case, the final outcome of an evaluation can change, and that’s perfectly normal: we are human beings, and what happens in our lives affects us. The alternative would be to entrust everything to artificial intelligence, but we will have to discuss its ethical implications in the future.

So, should we stop studying altogether?
Of course not. We should still do our best: increasing our knowledge is important because it opens up more opportunities and helps us defend ourselves in various areas of life. However, remember that grades—whether they’re high or low—don’t directly measure your worth as a person; they only reflect a single performance in a specific moment. And very often, a test can be retaken with better results.

If one day you become a teacher or someone influential, this won’t turn you into a “demigod.” You’ll remain yourself: a human being among many others. If the opposite happens, it means you haven’t found your true value, and so you feel forced to seek it through external validation and titles.

Brandon - February 2025

(10) The false ego: the “self” that suffocates your true being and harms those around you

The false ego is a “false self,” an “other self” (from the Latin alter ego) that operates within us, possessing a personality and characteristics utterly different from our true nature. We all have it to varying degrees, and we don’t develop it out of malice but rather for self-preservation: it’s an attempt to be accepted by our parents and, by extension, by society.

However, this artificial front smothers our true self, intimidating it more and more until it eventually subdues it (if we could see it, it would be quite a violent sight). Deep down, we feel worse and worse, while the moments of emptiness and silence grow longer because we lose our sensitivity… We end up perceiving only our artificial identity—cold as metal, fragile as glass, but seemingly as solid as steel. The more empty and sidelined we feel, the more we try to display the opposite, both to others and to ourselves, adopting arrogant or vain attitudes and drawing on our “social standing” to feel special and look down on others.

It’s a widespread phenomenon because, to some degree, we’ve all felt the need to please our parents, and our parents themselves weren’t entirely exempt from this dynamic. We shouldn’t condemn ourselves for developing a false ego, because it doesn’t mean we’re bad—just that we’re trying to suffer less. We don’t deserve judgment, but rather understanding and help. If we feel the need to judge ourselves or others, let’s stop and ask, “What am I missing here?” and start anew. Judging is quick and easy, but it restricts us and makes us accusatory; understanding, instead, opens the doors to awareness and makes us stronger than before.

How to dismantle the false ego?

It takes courage and willpower to revisit our childhood, analyze our parents’ behavior, and understand how often and why it caused us pain. By doing so, we stop seeing parents as “untouchable” or “semi-divine” and begin to view them for what they truly are: people on the same level as ourselves. From this vantage point, the rest of the “temple” collapses too: teachers, employers, doctors, friends, office workers… we realize that each one is simply our equal. Recognizing our true worth makes us feel more grounded and balanced, and we can show ourselves to ourselves and others more naturally and spontaneously. We become more sensitive, more human, freer, and stronger, because truth is unshakable.

We have a duty to take care of ourselves, both for our own dignity and so as not to inflict our suffering on others. This applies to everyone since we all have a job or role involving interpersonal relationships. It’s valid for anyone, anywhere in the world. Let’s be attentive and learn to love ourselves: only in this way can we also love others.

Brandon - February 2025

(11) The quality of a professional: A reflection of our inner selves 

The reason it’s often difficult to find truly competent professionals and practitioners in any field does not depend so much on the number of years they have studied, but on how hard it is to come across people who have preserved their own soul. This applies to everyone: from custodians and office workers to consultants, teachers, and doctors of all ranks and degrees. After all, they are ordinary people — just like you and me — offering a service whose quality primarily depends on three factors:

1. The inner awareness they have cultivated (love, depth, and honesty with themselves)

2. Practical experience

3. The quantity and quality of their studies

Therefore, the quality of the help we receive is directly proportional to the overall quality of the person providing it.

It is normal that even professionals might make mistakes in good faith, and this does not diminish their value. However, only those who are truly enlightened have the strength to acknowledge their own errors and work to correct them. Others, on the other hand, remain trapped in their false ego — a mask constructed by the mind to shield itself from a sense of self-devaluation inherited from childhood. Thus, in a desperate attempt to feel like “someone,” they seek validation through titles and socially accepted accolades, often deluding themselves into believing they are above others — even when they deny it.

Some examples?

• An office worker’s irritability toward a non-Italian person who struggles to understand him, creating discomfort for both and fear in the foreigner.

• A teacher’s haughty or mean-spirited attitude toward their students, generating a tense, uncomfortable, and oppressive atmosphere — anything but stimulating.

• A doctor’s inhumane approach in the face of a rare, chronic, or hard-to-diagnose condition, manipulating the situation by downplaying or “normalizing” the patient’s symptoms, sowing doubt about the seriousness or even the very existence of their distress — behaviors known as “gaslighting” and “normalizing,” two forms of psychological violence that can be dangerous and are often underestimated.

Unfortunately, such episodes are common… But thankfully, there are also professionals we can trust — capable and enlightened people who go about their work with dedication, authenticity, and freedom.
When confronted with certain behaviors, stay calm and hold your ground. Remember that these people try to appear strong to mask their inner fragility. They are trapped in an artificial identity in which they have placed their personal worth — an ephemeral value that they can no longer do without, because they fear facing a void that has never been filled; they live every day like tightrope walkers on a wire… They need help.

Understanding their situation does not mean justifying their behavior or the pain they cause, but it allows you to recognize that the real issue lies within them, not you. These individuals lack the clarity necessary to empathize with others—they cannot even see themselves.
The root cause of so much suffering in the world is precisely the lack of natural affection — an actual pandemic that afflicts humankind and takes over the hearts of those who do not take a stand within themselves.

Although it is not simple, we should all learn to love our inner child, to improve our own condition and pass on this love to others. It is important for everyone and absolutely indispensable for teachers (guardians of future minds) and doctors (guardians of today’s and tomorrow’s health) — categories that often bear a greater responsibility than most.
We must strive, each in our own small way, to make a difference, because human beings are also capable of extraordinary deeds. Yet these are reserved for those who develop awareness — awareness being the precursor of love, that essential flame no living being can live without if they want to see life in full color. By learning to love ourselves and sharing this love with others, we can hope for a better life for ourselves and those around us. Life is short; we need to try to live it as best we can.

And you, what kind of professional will you be one day? It all depends on how much freedom you give to the light coming from your soul.

Brandon - February 2025

(12) Repressed desires

Repressing the desire to experience something that would harm neither ourselves nor anyone else means depriving ourselves of precious awareness and stifling a part of our being along with its vital energy. This triggers a subtle, constant sense of unease, difficult to pinpoint, which can literally poison our days and compromise our overall health. We become fully aware of this when, suddenly, we get the opportunity to fulfill that desire—sometimes in front of others (often completely unaware), other times in the depths of our innermost self—and we notice that certain troubles afflicting us diminish or disappear entirely. In that moment, we feel alive, free like any other animal.

But why should we suppress one of our desires?

Well... the conditioned mind—developed during childhood and adolescence—leads us to constantly judge and categorize every action as “right” or “wrong,” then further subdivide it according to externally imposed criteria that have little or nothing personal about them. Consequently, we sense a marked distance between ourselves and “new,” “unusual,” or “socially taboo” actions, which we often label as “wrong” or “negative.” This causes a high number of perceptual errors, prompting a certain mental resistance to those actions—a resistance that often proves contradictory because it goes against the desire of our pure instinct.

If you are sensitive to others’ judgment, it’s because you felt judged by your parents, directly or indirectly. This gave rise to an inner judge—a merciless false master—that constantly makes you feel inadequate and flawed, guilty of not being a “top” person according to their standards (i.e., your parents’).

If you look back on your past with a strong desire to rediscover your true self, you will start to notice the conditioning your parents instilled in you, whether in absolute good faith or through a scarcity of love. You will become aware of their errors in judging you (and themselves). Once you recognize this, all other forms of authority—teachers, employers, and so on—will gradually lose their grip, because you will have rediscovered your uncontaminated identity, which, being genuine, is unshakeable.

Pause for a moment on those thoughts that keep you from acting and ask yourself, “Does this voice truly belong to me, or does it come from someone else?”

Brandon - February 2025

(13) THE "HUMAN" ANIMAL

Humans often perceive themselves as superior to animals. However, this sense of superiority arises from cognitive bias—a conditioned mindset distorting reality and causing us to ignore that all forms of life share fundamental biological functions and an evolutionary origin on this planet. Humans themselves are animals; together with other animals and plants, they constitute just one of the numerous living species inhabiting the Earth, each with its unique characteristics.

Some examples? Dogs possess "quantum-level" sense of smell, cats have exceptionally acute hearing, geckos can effortlessly cling to smooth—even vertical—surfaces, ants communicate through chemical substances. There are even insects and amphibians capable of bioluminescence, animals able to undergo transdifferentiation (rejuvenation), and species that practice sequential hermaphroditism (changing gender according to the group’s needs). Plants too are extraordinary, and describing even just a fraction of all living beings would require entire volumes. Each species has unique abilities suited to its environment, and there is no objective criterion to determine who is “the best.”

The animal called “human” has developed complex language and versatile intelligence that allows it to carry out sophisticated tasks, but this certainly does not render it “superior.” Conversely, we could say humans are the only species that has lost much of its spontaneity, giving rise to a secondary "self" that leads them to judge themselves and others according to social criteria.

Measuring intelligence solely on the basis of human language or reasoning abilities neglects biodiversity. Humans are not a chosen entity, but simply animals with sophisticated cognitive abilities that, if improperly trained (consciously or unconsciously), result in a life filled with difficulties and turn them into their own—and others’—worst enemy.

The moment humans mentally separated themselves from nature, they signed their own sentence to unhappiness and illness. As part of nature, we need to live harmoniously with it, respecting and feeling ourselves as one with it, exchanging energies and awareness in a healthy manner, because we can learn from every being on Earth. Each of them has an identity and self-awareness often surpassing our own, along with abilities different from ours. They too possess a soul; they are indeed "animated," alive, just as we are. There is also the “spirit of the species,” an entity representing each species (also existing for trees, rivers, etc.).

We need to engage in exchanges with Mother Nature and our animal brothers and sisters. We can share energy, consciousness, and emotions, benefiting both ourselves and them. We should not consider them inferior, because apart from being an erroneous and utterly disrespectful belief, it also justifies our indifference when causing them harm.

Brandon, April 2025 

(14) Judgment – the end of all awareness

When I speak of “judgment,” I am not referring to our critical thinking — which is a treasure — but to that harmful human habit of pointing the finger at others.
Those who judge others are still victims of their own inner judge, an entity created by the mind to which we account for our every action. A virtual parent capable of making us feel good or bad, approving or discrediting us based on invented rules passed down to it as unquestionable truths.
When we judge someone, we stop understanding them, and begin to deduce everything based on appearances and on conditioned criteria that have been instilled in us. It is considered an easy and painless thing that protects us from the effort and from the fear of perceiving others and, in turn, ourselves.
To understand someone means to feel them, to resonate with them. As living beings, this is essential, but also difficult. Many of us cannot handle emotions, and truly becoming aware of others’ emotions makes us feel our own as well — and this can be doubly frightening if we are usually detached from our own emotions. It’s paradoxical, because even modern robots aim to acquire this ability, while human beings, who have it innately, seek to limit it or, worse, to get rid of it.

Much of humanity is now steeped in the concept of judgment, whose cause is generally found in religious and/or social ideology:
Christians and Muslims, for example, believe in the presence of a Father God, an omnipotent creator and authoritative judge of each of us, who observes our every action in life and can punish us for our mistakes (as often happens), forgive us after a sacrifice (when it goes well), or reward us (albeit rarely) in exchange for great renunciations; thus placing us more on a scale than in the center of his heart — despite all the love and mercy proclaimed in words.
Man does the same and, not by chance, Aristotle said: “Man creates the gods in his own image, not only in form but also in way of life.” In these peoples, this concept is so deeply rooted that, even in everyday life, judging and being judged is considered normal, and even necessary, to hope to remain on the “right path.” And those who hold a position of authority — such as a parent, teacher, employer, doctor, etc. — are often considered both obligated and entitled to issue indisputable judgments.

People of different faiths, such as Buddhists (and other peoples), do not judge for religious reasons, but they may do so because of ideologies and social frameworks that are part of their culture.
Being constantly judged by deities, parents, and society causes us pain; therefore, we decide to conform in order to please authority. In doing so, we establish an artificial judge within ourselves and end up denying our true self, eventually forgetting it.
Having lost empathy, we stop recognizing ourselves as part of a whole, take turns donning the mantle of authority, and — in a torture similar to a spit roast — we judge and are judged: the stronger judging the weaker, and vice versa, in every context of life. Yet we then find it hard to understand why the world is in such a bad state and, above all, why we feel so angry and empty. — No suspicion?

Stopping judgment and starting to understand is not easy, because it means starting with ourselves, questioning our false ego built in response to — and based on — all the labels our parents and society have stuck on us, which, like heavy chains, condemn us, limit our self-awareness, and distort our vision of the world.
Beginning to evaluate ourselves constructively, without accounting to a hidden authority we believe to be omnipresent, means freeing our soul and rediscovering our light and, in doing so, also helping others to find theirs.

As difficult as it may be to accept (and to understand), when we judge, it is because we have stumbled upon a shadowed area of our self.
It does not matter how old we are or what “role” we happen to occupy (father, grandfather, doctor, teacher, boss...), to varying degrees, this phenomenon concerns all of us — myself included.
The years we have lived are only an indication of the experiences we have gone through, not of the awareness we have drawn from them — which instead depends on our level of personal evolution.
Even in this case, there is no point in blaming ourselves for not having understood “in time”; what matters is to remedy it and change our attitude from that point onward.

Judgment is the enemy of awareness — and thus of the soul — because awareness is food for the soul.

A big hug to you, and may you have a good life!

Brandon, August 2025

(15) Truly knowing others

The foundation of healthy relationships and emotional well-being 

Being certain that we can mentally deduce what a person is like and what they feel is merely an illusion. What we can deduce is only one of the many sides of a person, or a fragment of their reality — a percentage that varies greatly.
The best way to understand someone is to ask them questions: ask how they are, what they think, why they act in a certain way, and above all, what they feel.
This, of course, means listening to the other person’s feelings, giving them space to express themselves, and acknowledging them without judgment. But we often fail to do this, because generally speaking, we are afraid of feelings — starting with our own.

From preadolescence onward, many of us tend to anesthetize our emotions due to excessive suffering.
During this process, however, we grow accustomed to the idea of building an image that can please others, and we get used to it until we make it our own — basing our sense of worth upon it.
We begin to rationalize everything, more and more, following the various models that have been instilled in us.
We stop perceiving our feelings because we are hurt, and a vicious circle begins: the more we repress them, the more we suffer, and the more we feel the need to detach from them.
Yet the pain remains — as an underlying vibration.

The final result is a rational deduction of ourselves and others, which inevitably contains a certain margin of error.
The worst part is that we often make decisions based precisely on these deductions, largely influenced by our inner projections — directly connected to our emotional health and the education we received.
This exposes us to the risk of acting incongruently with reality, generating misunderstandings that multiply in chain reactions.

Brandon, October 2025

Reflection

But why is this the root of human suffering?

Emotional misunderstanding almost always originates within the family — when parents, instead of resonating with their child, limit themselves to mentally deducing their personality based on superficial appearances and the mistaken principle: “Well, I know them well, they’re my child!”
The more this happens, the more parents build a distorted image of who their child truly is. At that point, one misunderstanding breeds another: the child feels harshly judged and learns that, in order to be accepted, they must adapt — that is, censor their true self and hide their feelings behind a mask, simply to preserve the balance of the relationship with their parents.

Many of us grow up convinced that “being ourselves” could make us inappropriate and therefore blameworthy in the eyes of others. Our worldview, in fact, depends directly on our relationship with our parents (see paragraph 8).
If not unmasked, this false principle becomes an inherited teaching passed down from generation to generation: adults, now in the role of parents, who have denied their own personality in favor of a false self, raise their children in the same way — convinced, through a comfortable and forced illusion, that this kind of education has made them respectable, or at least “proper and decent” people.

Unawakened individuals follow social patterns religiously: they have children because they’re supposed to, hoping to eventually get used to their presence. And while they enjoy the fleeting social prestige of being a “family with children,” they educate their child not according to their own experience and feelings, but according to convention.
The child clearly perceives the lack of natural affection in favor of strange rules, and adapts to them in order to please the parents they depend upon completely. To preserve their parents’ image intact, the child ends up believing they are the ugly duckling — the weak link in the family’s honor.

To break this chain, we must dismantle the myth of the parents, become aware of their mistakes and of the traumas they have caused us.
We must dive into our deepest abysses, remember our past and rework it constructively; defend our natural inclinations, rediscover our true self hidden behind the mask, free it from the chains of conditioning, and heal its wounds.
Only then can we realize that we are, in truth, beautiful and precious like a wild plant — worthy of love and understanding simply by virtue of existing.

Brandon, October 2025