Somehow, that comment has stayed with me ever since, as though it has been sitting in a holding tank inside me, waiting for something to bubble up.
Who are we, really?
Most of us are born into a world where beliefs, expectations, and patterns are already in place, waiting for us to absorb them from the moment we arrive. Our families, cultures, languages, and religions shape the way we see the world. Social and economic trends define what is considered “normal” at any given time. All of these layers build our belief systems and eventually the identity we think of as us.
But are we really who we think we are?
Throughout time, humans have searched for answers, not only to survive, but to give their lives depth, purpose, and meaning.
Across history, religions have offered guidance on who we are and how we should live. Their teachings were meant to help us lead better lives, promising reward for good actions and punishment for wrongdoing. For many, they provided structure, order, and a moral compass. Yet over time, some in positions of authority within these traditions used their power to influence practices and interpretations.
As societies grew more complex and people sought meaning in new ways, the Industrial Revolution brought a belief that more is better, that material wealth could make us happy. Money can make life easier and allow us to experience extraordinary things. Yet even with all that, depression is widespread. Conflicts between nations continue. Families fall apart. Poverty persists.
Then came one of the strangest times in modern history, the COVID pandemic. We treated each other as deadly virus carriers, where even a touch or a breath could kill. Some attacked those who refused the vaccinations, deepening rifts between friends and families. Right and wrong became sharply divided. We were forced indoors, and much of the world seemed to stop.
In the middle of that chaos, many of us began looking inward. A small voice inside started whispering again, or for some, perhaps for the first time, asking how we want to live, who we truly are, and why we are here. Some people began to recognize, with conscious awareness, the influences and patterns that had long shaped their lives. Quietly, a new movement was emerging - a collective pause, a rare stillness for humanity to observe itself.
Now when I look at the Moon, it feels like a quiet invitation to look deeper, something I can sense but cannot fully describe. Something stirs, a feeling that is distant yet familiar and mysterious, a mix of the reachable and unreachable, the known and the mysterious.
It reminds me of the wise man’s words - even as we live on one planet among so many, we are part of this vast universe.
We humans have always searched for the meaning of life, seeking to understand who we are. Will we find the answer this time? We don’t know. But perhaps the most important thing is that something has stirred within us, a sense that we are more than we realize. And maybe that is the point, the beginning.
Who are we, really?
