Watts paints the ego as a handy fiction—a small “I” bellowing its own importance—while the true self is the vast, uncarved block of consciousness underlying every thought, feeling or fleeting identity. Think of the ego as the wave bragging about its crest, convinced it’s separate, unique and battling the sea below. Meanwhile, the true self is the ocean itself: shapeless, boundless and inseparable from all those rolling swells.

That sense of separateness shows up in endless striving—chasing likes on social media, crafting personas for the Metaverse, or treating life like a competition. It’s as if everyone’s wearing blinders, mistaking the character they play for who they really are. Watts borrows from Vedanta and Zen to remind that underneath each story of “me versus you,” there’s one grand narrative: consciousness experiencing itself in countless forms.

Lately, it feels spot-on—amid climate anxiety or global lockdowns, people are scrambling for personal bubble-wrap comfort rather than remembering the single thread weaving all humanity together. By peeling back the ego’s layers—through meditation, nature walks or simply watching a sunset without a phone in hand—the everyday hustle dissolves into something more profound. In that stillness, the “true self” isn’t an achievement stamped on the resume, but the ever-present backdrop for every joy, fear or triumph. It’s not about adding another label, but letting go of the ones that never fit.