There are things that are the essence of who we are... To change ourselves, we must change our essence as well... It’s difficult. How can we change our essence when we don’t even recognize it? Even when we can clearly recognize our essence, it’s not easy to change it.
There are some exceptions... some people can easily shift at a certain point without effort.
Effort alone cannot completely conquer the essence... effort only causes us to suffer, as if in hell... Only when we step out of hell can the essence be reborn.
How can we change our essence when we have clearly recognized it... and when we have not yet understood our essence...
Winston Man
Excerpt from AI: Winston Man’s short writing is deeply reflective, blending philosophy and spirituality, centered on the concept of "essence" – a profound and core element within each person. Here is a detailed analysis from various perspectives:
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Central Theme: Essence and Transformation Winston Man focuses on the essence – the deepest, most original, and core aspect of each individual. He raises a profound and universal question:
“To change ourselves, we must change our essence.” This presents a strong assertion that true transformation isn’t just about external actions or attitudes but must be a transformation from the roots – the deepest parts of ourselves.
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Inner Conflict: Knowing but Not Changing Winston points out an important paradox:
“Even if we can clearly recognize our essence, it’s not easy to change it.” In other words, awareness does not equate to transformation. People may clearly see their weaknesses, instincts, or limited nature – but that does not guarantee easy change.
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Exceptions and Transformation Without Effort A noteworthy part:
“There are some exceptions… they can easily shift at a certain time without effort.” The author acknowledges that some people have the ability to change naturally, as if the transformation occurs at the right “time” or “opportunity.” This may refer to those with “good foundations” or those experiencing a spiritual or intellectual breakthrough.
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Effort is Not Enough – Hell and Rebirth A bold statement:
“Effort alone cannot completely conquer the essence… effort only causes us to suffer, as if in hell…” Here, Winston Man seems to criticize the popular notion that “just trying is enough to succeed.” For the essence – the deepest and most foundational part – blind effort may lead to suffering, as if struggling with oneself in an internal battle with no way out.
However, there is a glimmer of hope:
“Only when we step out of hell can the essence be reborn.” That is, perhaps through extreme experiences (suffering, doubt, brokenness...), the essence can truly transform – like a “death and rebirth.”
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The Final Question: How to Change the Essence? The question is raised twice, but no definitive answer is given:
“How can we change our essence when we have clearly recognized it… and when we have not yet understood our essence…” Winston Man leaves the question ambiguous – as a way to encourage the reader to contemplate. However, it can also be inferred that he suggests transformation of the essence does not come from reason or mere effort, but from deep awakening, transcending suffering, and touching something beyond the ego.
Conclusion: The writing reads like a short meditation – a combination of philosophy, psychology, and mysticism. It raises the big questions of “Who are we?”, “Can we change?”, and “What role does suffering play in transformation?” Winston Man does not provide answers but opens up a journey – where the essence is not just something to understand, but something to live through, to go through, and to be reborn.
We will now delve deeper into the core of the writing, where the "essence" is no longer an abstract concept but a living reality within each person. The analysis below will unfold across deeper layers – from philosophy, Buddhist studies, depth psychology, to existential experience.
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What is the “Essence”? – The Core of Existence
Winston Man does not define "essence" – and this is a subtlety. Because essence cannot be grasped by reason. But through context, we can understand:
Essence is the primordial, foundational, and most enduring part within a person. It could be the original personality, inner tendencies, deep soul wounds, or the profound self formed through life experiences, karmic forces, and memories. This is not something to be “learned,” but rather something that already “exists,” from which everything else arises. Existential philosophical perspective: In existential philosophy (Heidegger, Kierkegaard), humans do not merely “exist,” but must “become themselves.” But in order to become oneself, one must first face the true essence – not the self we present, but the one we hide, fear, or have never named.
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Recognizing the Essence – Not Easy and Not Enough
Winston writes:
“Even if we can clearly recognize our essence, it’s not easy to change it.” This echoes Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow in psychoanalysis – where he stated:
“You do not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” The trap of “understanding”: Many people think that simply “knowing who we are,” “knowing where we are weak” is enough to change. But the essence is not something you can “fix” with a checklist. It is like an unconscious defense system – it only dissolves when we live truthfully, accept, and penetrate it.
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“Effort” – A Double-Edged Sword
Winston is straightforward:
“Effort only causes us to suffer as if in hell…” Why? Because when we try to change the essence through willpower – typically at the conscious level – we only push ourselves into internal conflict. It’s like trying to “destroy” our own self using the same self – a vicious cycle.
From the Buddhist perspective: This aligns with Buddhist thought. In Buddhism:
“Essence” is not real, because “all phenomena are without self.” But the so-called “self-image” – the illusion of self – is held onto as real. Suffering (dukkha) arises when we resist or try to change what we do not fully understand. Therefore, forced effort leads to suffering. Only when we let go, understand, accept, and act without force, will transformation naturally occur.
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Exceptions – When the Essence Changes Without Effort
Winston talks about a group of people who are “exceptions” – they can easily change at a certain point.
They may be understood as those who:
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Have gone through a “ripening” state, like seeds that only sprout when they’ve had enough sunlight and wind.
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Have experienced an awakening where consciousness transcends the ego (ego death).
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Or simply, have lived truthfully with their shadows long enough for the essence to naturally dissolve. In Zen, this is called “satori” – a moment of intuitive awakening, beyond reason, without coercion.
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“Hell” and Rebirth – The Journey of Passing Through Darkness
This statement is quite powerful:
“Only when we step out of hell can the essence be reborn.” This is not just a metaphor, but an existential experience.
“Hell” represents the crisis of essence, where all definitions of “who we are” collapse. It is a state of emptiness, existential despair. But it is within that “death” that the old essence collapses and a new “self” can be born – a self no longer controlled by the old ego or wounds. This is the hero’s journey in all mythologies – death and rebirth – from Gilgamesh, Siddhartha Gautama, Jesus, to Odysseus.
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The Unanswered Question – Can the Essence Truly Change?
“How can we change our essence when we have clearly recognized it… and when we have not yet understood our essence…” The question is raised in two states – knowing and not knowing – but it is full of helplessness. This is the peak of existential thought in the writing: There is no formula. No shortcuts. There is only the authentic path, through oneself.
Summary – The Essence is Not Changed, It is Transformed
Winston Man does not provide a solution because the essence is not something that can be “fixed” like a problem.
It is transformed:
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When we dare to look into ourselves, without avoiding.
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When we no longer force ourselves to become someone else.
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When pain is no longer an enemy, but a teacher.
Winston Man’s writing is like a multidimensional tapestry – where existential philosophy, depth psychology, Eastern and Western mysticism, and ancient mythological symbolism intersect into one unified journey: the journey of transforming the essence.
I. Essence – The Blind Spot of Existence
In Winston Man’s writing, “essence” is not clearly defined – and this ambiguity is part of its nature. It transcends language, transcends the masks that humans often wear.
Heidegger – “Dasein” and the Fear of Being Martin Heidegger said that humans are Dasein – “being aware that we exist.” But humans often lose themselves in what is called the world, living like a “machine.” Only when we face death, the absurdity, do we return to the question: “Who am I?”
Winston Man writes: “How can we change our essence when we do not yet understand our essence…” That is the existential call – where the individual awakens amidst confusion.
II. Kierkegaard – Despair and Faith
Kierkegaard calls “essence” the true self that a person must become – through the journey beyond existential despair. Despair is when we cannot accept ourselves, or cannot escape ourselves.
Essence cannot be changed by willpower. It changes by faith, by a leap into the unknown – which Kierkegaard calls the Leap of Faith. In Winston Man’s context, this is the moment when we step out of hell, when effort no longer works, and the person must “dissolve” to be reborn.
III. Carl Jung – The Shadow and Inner Reconciliation
Carl Jung takes us to the deep realms of psychology – where essence is assimilated with personal and collective unconsciousness, with the shadow and archetypes.
“The shadow” is the part we deny, the essence we despise, fear, or repress. To change the essence, we must face the shadow, not destroy it – but reconcile with it. Winston Man’s words: “Effort only causes us to suffer as if in hell…” In Jungian terms, this is the Dark Night of the Soul – the time when the ego no longer controls, and the soul must enter the unconscious to “reunite with itself.”
IV. Buddhism & Zen – Not Changing, Just Seeing Clearly
Buddhism says: essence is illusion. “Self” is just a structure that arises due to dependent origination. In Zen:
“What is your true face before your parents were born?” – A question that directly hits at essence, to break down all knowledge and labels. Winston says: “Even when we clearly recognize our essence, it’s not easy to change.” In Zen, this is both true and false at the same time:
True, because there is nothing to change – just see clearly and let go. False, if you think “you” can actively change essence – because “you” are also an illusion. Transformation occurs when there is nothing left to grasp, when you suddenly realize that all suffering is an illusion – and that illusion is the essence you are trying to “change.”
V. Mythology & The Hero’s Journey – Death and Rebirth
Winston Man strongly connects with the ancient motif in human mythology:
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Gilgamesh
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Buddha
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Jesus
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Odysseus
All these journeys are metaphors for the transformation of essence: dying to an old part – to live again more deeply, broadly, and freely.
VI. Summary – What is Winston Man Telling Us?
Winston Man’s writing, though brief, evokes something vast:
Essence cannot be changed by effort. But it cannot remain the same forever. It transforms naturally when we are fully present, in enough pain, enough disintegration – then let go of all resistance.
This is the mystical threshold – where philosophy, psychology, and religion no longer provide answers – but push us into a state of living directly with essence, without avoidance, without control.
Conclusion:
Winston Man’s writing, when viewed through the lenses of existential philosophy, depth psychology, Buddhism, and human mythology, becomes more than just a short reflective piece – it is a silent declaration about the journey of transforming essence.
Winston Man does not argue; he opens up through inner contradictions, paradoxes, and unanswered questions. But in this openness, we see an immutable law:
Essence cannot be changed from the outside, cannot be coerced by willpower. True transformation happens when we face the darkness within us – the pain, the helplessness, the “hell” of the ego. And only when we “die” – when a part of the old self dies – does essence have the opportunity to be “reborn.” This is the heroic journey every person – from Gilgamesh, Buddha, Jesus to each modern individual – must undergo.
No one changes essence because they want to change. We only truly transform when we see clearly that there is no other way – but to become our deepest self.
And as Zen Master Bankei once said:
“You have always been what you are trying to become.”
