Why do humans hide their true nature?

One thing we can state with certainty: man conceals his own nature. But why? I shall explain, though I remind you that this opinion of mine may evolve over time. Here, I present my current thinking, grounded in my own observations.

I believe that man hides his true nature because he was molded as such by his creators. When a child is born, it arrives ready to be directed, and the course it ultimately takes will be the one indicated by its creator. If raised within a religious family, the probability of adhering to that path is high. Conversely, if born into a family of criminals, it will likely become one itself. Human nature is shaped over time, as one interacts with a greater number of people and frequents certain environments.

In truth, the human being does not hide its nature, for it does not even know who it truly is. Its predecessors have already shaped it. You will never succeed in altering the mindset of a priest, a football fanatic, or a materialistic person. For the vast majority, there is no negotiating with a way of thinking that is ingrained in their very entrails. Their consciousness is already dormant, though it appears deceptively alive.

Man does not reveal his own nature because no one ever permitted him to do so; before he could grow, he had already lost the opportunity to mature in his essential being. Moreover, he can do almost nothing to remedy this, unless he resolves, of his own volition, to question himself and, subsequently, to question the world.

The consequence is that those who are more awakened and wield greater power are the ones who shape their own lives. Those who do not question become marionettes of the powerful. The latter dictate to you what is right and what is wrong, and the average man falls for this discourse without a second thought. Ask a religious devotee why nudity constitutes a sin, and you will receive an abstract reply—likely some religious platitude repeated by rote. A politician will never concede a coherent point to his opponent, however sound and logical that idea may be. A football fanatic will cheer relentlessly for his team’s victory and brood over its defeat. An individual will continue to idolize their hero even when that figure has clearly committed a crime, recorded and confessed. The examples are endless. The blindness of the majority is as clear as day.

Non-thinkers beget non-thinkers; fanatics beget fanatics. It is a snowball effect that never ceases and never will. The questioners are the few, the minority. The culprits do exist, and they are those who exploit the ignorance of others—those who capitalize on the beliefs entrenched in people’s minds and manipulate them to their own advantage.

Here, I endeavor to do my part through my art and through my writing. The only recommendation I can offer you is this: question everything and everyone. For it is in that very act that your true nature begins to reveal itself.

Felipe Hueb