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Are we all “monsters” beneath the veneer of polite society? Yes, says the author, who has accepted that role, with the understanding that we can change for the better if only we realize this world wasn’t built for the weak. But he has gone further, reaching out to the demons that dominate the fates around us in a difficult journey towards the satisfaction of overcoming their control. Along the way he relates a series of unsettling and even brutal experiences that pose questions as to our readiness to make that final transformation: Is lying a valid tool to prevent tragedy? Can an unborn child end its own life to stop an incestuous birth? What really happens when we donate our body parts to a “worthy” cause? Can one person’s trauma salvage the life of another? Is true wisdom knowing how to get what you want or knowing how to avoid what you do not want? Come along, if you dare, and be prepared to have your world turned on end.
¿Somos todos “monstruos” bajo el barniz de una sociedad educada? Sí, dice el autor, que ha aceptado ese papel, entendiendo que podemos cambiar para mejor si nos damos cuenta de que este mundo no fue construido para los débiles. Pero él ha ido más allá, acercándose a los demonios que dominan los destinos que nos rodean en un viaje difícil hacia la satisfacción de superar su control. A lo largo del camino, relata una serie de experiencias inquietantes e incluso brutales que plantean interrogantes sobre nuestra disposición para realizar esa transformación final: ¿Es la mentira una herramienta válida para prevenir la tragedia? ¿Puede un feto poner fin a su propia vida para detener un nacimiento incestuoso? ¿Qué sucede realmente cuando donamos partes de nuestro cuerpo a una causa “digna”? ¿Puede el trauma de una persona salvar la vida de otra? ¿La verdadera sabiduría es saber cómo conseguir lo que quieres o saber cómo evitar lo que no quieres? Ven, si te atreves, y prepárate para que tu mundo se ponga patas para arriba.
Wise men and women, from Socrates to Hypatia to Einstein, have said we humans are able to comprehend only a minute slice of existence, that the realm of truth is far from our grasp. We may believe we know our surroundings and what is favorable or not in our daily lives. But how much more lies just beyond our normal perspective? Are there forces at work, of which we've received only the slightest hint, that set a ruthless and deterministic course from which we cannot escape? Or do we have a choice and is there a place for human motivation and compassion in the universe?
These age-old questions are covered here through two collections of vignettes. First, we are confronted with a series of rather shocking, even brutal, examples of how we may have misconceived, or been misinformed about, both history and everyday experience. Did a sanctified body support a militant power that repulsed even Hitler's henchmen? Did a revered icon foster slavery and genocide? Did western political and media influence vilify and ultimately kill an exemplary and far-sighted leader? What hidden meanings are at play when we apply for a government document, rent an apartment, attend church, or ride in a carpool? Are we being manipulated and even slowly poisoned by things seen all around us?
As the book says, "We have been told that we have come from the apes, but reality shows us that we are becoming the apes." Such a background may seem inhuman and hopeless, and yet it can be overcome through innate determination and virtue. The process of redemption is epitomized by the author's own experiences, as he trains for the priesthood, suffers through a tragic romance, and counsels others on mitigating the past, following their dreams, and even challenging what may appear as demonic power. Yes, individual will may yet break the earthly cycle of tribulation.
But there is something more. Whether righteous or wicked, humans are not alone. There are other entities, present since Biblical times, that will delude us, inflict pain and sorrow, and laugh at our confusion and misery. They are always watching, though they can be controlled, and ultimately a far greater universal force can prevail through the knowledge and love within our potential.
