The process of writing this first book of mine seems for me to always invite doubt in the author’s mind as to know if I am my own mind. Though I’m sure I would have enjoyed it, I did not grow up in the jungle raised by monkeys. Which means that my mind has been influenced, inspired, and conditioned throughout my life, directly but also indirectly, by my friends, family, colleagues, authors, teachers, random strangers, and unfortunately, by the mass media. In the end, the sum of what I’ve learned mixed with my critical thinking has shaped the way I think and express myself today. Not only have those people enriched me with their knowledge, wisdom, and points of view, and given me further reference, direction, and suggestions, but by forcing many discussions to deeper levels, they have also allowed me to find a deeper understanding of the truth that was already inside me, but would have otherwise never come out to my awareness without their intervention.

Since I was very little, I’ve always been an extremely curious adventurer. From an early age until university, and even outside of school afterward, I was always the one who would ask the most questions to all my teachers, colleagues, family members, co-workers, and friends – more than once did I annoy some of them, and I sincerely apologize for that. Probably because half of my interrogations were useless questions due to my lack of attention, but I assume the other half was highly valuable; at least for me, but many times also for the ones around me. This inquisitive behavior was not the result of doubting my surroundings, but was simply to satisfy my insatiable thirst for new knowledge and my desire to understand more clearly the world in which we live.

My goal was to understand everything by making connections within my own knowledge first, and asking questions when I could not find the connection on my own. I never felt shy to ask anything. If the answer did not satisfy my curiosity or I felt I was annoying my interlocutor, I would then seek to find another source to help me dissolve my ignorance. Consequently, by never accepting what I was learning without truly understanding its deeper meaning, I somehow became a seeker of truth even if back then I didn’t know what it meant and where it would bring me.

This is how I’ve learned throughout all my life; and I was astonished to realize that even through university, everyone seemed to know so much, but only a few really understood what they actually knew. Later in life, I understood that this was the way our society wanted us to be – sponges of information without critical thinking. For this reason, all my life I swam against that mainstream behavior in order to stay free as much as possible from the poison that seems to numb and blind the majority of our society.

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Mark Twain

The book you are holding represents my findings about what I feel is the true meaning of our existence. But neither my version nor the one you can find in the media can be good enough for you; since the truth that belongs to us has always been locked deep inside each one of us. Therefore, none of what you can find in this book or any other source of information can give you true wisdom.

The knowledge that I have accumulated throughout my life and that I’ve expressed in this book came mainly from the summation of what I’ve understood from all my personal experiences, not so much from what I’ve learned from all the media sources. I of course sometimes used what I’ve learned from the media to understand more clearly the experience I had lived, but mainly to compare my personal understanding with the point of view of authors I respect. Hence, I believe that in order to gain our own knowledge and discover our own truth, everyone should seek to untangle on their own the puzzle of their own life mess.

“Believe nothing you have read or anything you have heard; even if I’ve said it.” Buddha
This being said, be aware that many of the ideas I share in this book can totally be contradictory to what the majority believe is currently the truth. But since preconceived ideas always bias the way we read and learn, all I am asking from you right now, is a chance that you will read my book with an open mind. So if you can, please start with no prejudice, then empty your mind, read my book, meditate on it, put your mind back together, and then if you wish, formulate your own opinion about my book afterward.

Given that this book is written for a really wide audience (essentially everyone), depending on your level of awareness regarding the subject I describe in each part of my book, you may sometimes feel that it’s something you’ve already known well for a really long time; something that suits you perfectly well at this exact moment in your life; or something that is out of this world from what you currently know.

Accordingly, since everyone is on a different level of understanding this reality, and that I’m trying to write for everyone, please do not feel irritated or offended if you have no attachment or interest to certain parts of my book at the moment you are reading it. This book does not try to offer any kind of truth to anyone, but it will attempt to create enough doubt in the reader’s mind about what we are currently forced to believe, to hopefully generate enough curiosity for people to start seeking the truth on their own.

Even if the content of this book is not new and sometimes similar to what other authors have already written too many times, I hope that the authenticity of my personality gives it a different point of view that is unique enough and complementary somehow to what exists already to deserve a book on its own.

Hope you’ll enjoy reading it!