3 ms·
There's a lot of unpack from the story... For me one of the core teachings is that we all have something in common, being human. No matter what time period you
by paraph1n 4y ago
There's a lot of unpack from the story... For me one of the core teachings is that we all have something in common, being human. No matter what time period you lived in, no matter what family you were born into, no matter how your life proceeded: you are still human and have more in common with your neighbor than you might think.
It's easy for us to get lost in our own heads, saying "I'd never be like that person". We see them as the other, but in fact they are not so different from ourselves. This seeing of people as "the other" is the source of much conflict in the world.
But in this story, there is no other. There's only you. As the reader, you step into the shoes of the main character and ponder how you might feel if you were presented with such news upon your death. How would you look back on all the choices you made? How would you look back on the way you treated other people, who you've now learned are in fact yourself?
How would you feel? About your life just lived? About the lives ahead? Would you find peace? Finding peace in this reality is equivalent to the acceptance of others. In pondering these questions, the separation between yourself and others begins to dissolve, offering you a glimpse into the illusory nature of the self.
Plus, we don't know what the afterlife holds, or if there is one at all. So it's an interesting thought experiment also because it is an entirely plausible reality.
That's just my 2 cents though.