The Veil Embracing Man

Khazil Anthil, Merchant and Philosopher Marpenoth 25th, Year 152, 1374 DR

Analyzing individuals, having learned such, of that I am truly proud. Many deem me arrogant for claiming to possess such ability, but they know –nothing-.

The algorithms of human behaviour; exceptionally easy to gain knowledge of, yet to many, human appears problematical, intriguing, and other such things; quite a foolish thing to say, for we are all guided by similar desires and express ourselves in a nearly identical manner; humans, after all, are naught but beasts and marionettes, falling to the perversions of everyday life, guided and manipulated by their easily accessed strings. But beasts and marionettes I say! Beasts and marionettes! Hiding behind our mask, we have confidence in our façade, hiding our intentions while attempting to deceive others, believing fiercely in the perfection of our masquerade. A never ending charade, fuelled by the very desire of appearing appealing, yet, we never will in the eyes of the truly insightful, for they devour the pretence with a penetrating insight only few are gifted with. Nothing but a farce!

Throughout my younger days, such masks devoured me. Often deception overwhelmed me, for I believed in a counterfeit actuality.

Until I grasped the concept of reality, that which betrayed me.

We are born behind a veil, and so that one becomes perceptive of human behaviour, the veil must be surpassed. Thus is the first step in the analysis of humans! So simple it sounds, yet, the step which appears the simplest can pose the greatest troubles. For we often become brash. I too am brash occasionally; that I cannot deny. Have we not all rashly judged a recently met individual? I ask you, from now, to refrain from such, for it brings nothing but trouble.

I propose the following. Depend not on your intuition, your gut-feeling so to say; for it opposes logic, and logic guides; through logic and only logic we can succeed. Only then can you stay from the path of a beast and become truly insightful of humans.

That you desire, after all. You wish not to be a beast, to understand the invaluable…knowledge! Knowledge you desire. And thus is learning of human behaviour. Knowledge! Yet, a beast cannot gain knowledge. Henceforth you must follow my words; else you become nothing but a beast.

My words…Would you consider them shambles? Or nothing but the truth? I grant you knowledge, that which is power. Knowledge allows you to stray from the path of a beast. So then would my words not benefit you? How can my words be anything but the truth when they benefit you? The answers are for you to decide, but know that I am only attempting to aid you, and have no reason whatsoever to bombard you with lies!

But do not forget, you remain a beast unless you gain knowledge. And knowledge I grant!

Let emotions not guide you when attempting to read humans; else you are guided by bias. And that you not wish. My views, for considering you and I beasts, would you consider such biased? Certainly many would! But I describe of reading humans, and to do such, one must not have their emotions guide them. And I do such. Therefore, unquestionably, I must not speak with bias. After all, I describe that what requires no emotion to do with accuracy. Or am I? That too is for you to decide.

Plenty questions for you to answer. Or must you really answer? Perhaps I have already given the answer. That too is for you to decide. For only when you know the answer can you learn what I am attempting to teach you.

Or am I attempting to alter your views? Those questions you must certainly have asked yourself while reading. And therefore I openly ask it. If I say such a thing openly, certainly I must not attempt it. Foolish that would be. Or would it?

Before I shall come to completion, consider the following. I have addressed it previously, but I shall again, somewhat differently from before. Knowledge is power. Is it not? I give you knowledge, therefore I give you power. I give you power, therefore I must certainly be telling the truth.

So take heed of my words.