There's Nothing Behind the Curtain

...Except a Human

We like stories about wizards. We like to think there’s some kind of magic, some incredible force that makes certain people extraordinary. We’re obsessed with the illusion of greatness.

But when you peel back the curtain, you’ll find something shockingly mundane:

A human.

Yep, just a regular person. Just like you. Just like me. No magic, no wizardry. Just a regular-ass human.

Humans behind curtains behind humans behind curtains. 

Obsessed with Illusions

Humans and machines. Those are basically the two most advanced things we’ve ever known / ever built. But virtually all machines can’t function without us. Even the most sophisticated autonomous systems have humans watching, tweaking, managing, and maintaining them. Humans run the machines. Always. At least for now. 

There’s certainly some philosophical / metaphysical arguments around humans merging with machines, but that’s neither here nor there, at least for the purposes of this blog. 

So why the obsession with illusions? I think it’s because admitting we’re ordinary scares us. Humans love the feeling of being special, elevated. We love the narrative that we (or the company we run, or the team we’re part of) are somehow different, superior. And we’ll go to remarkable lengths to create that illusion. Fancy titles. Big brands. Carefully crafted images. We’ll build whole worlds of smoke and mirrors just to convince others (and ourselves) that we’re unique.

But are we? No, not really, sorry.

We Live in a Society

Remember the meme? This was huge a few years back on Reddit. 

It’s now still sort of a punchline. But as with most ironic things, beneath the irony is an obvious truth…

We need each other.

While Descartes’ cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am) has been revolutionary in driving enlightenment around our understanding of self & the value of the individual, I think there is a dark side of the phrase and how we’ve integrated it into our lives. I don’t know about you, but I see a trend towards hyper-individualism, lack of empathy, a dismissive attitude towards the needs of others, excessive vanity, etc. 

I’d like to propose an alternative…We are, therefore I am.

Sumus ergo ego sum.

We don’t exist in isolation. Not even a little. Our entire existence depends on an intricate web of regular humans behind countless curtains, all working together, consciously or unconsciously, willingly or not.

Behind the Curtain

So what’s really going on behind all these curtains? I think you’ll find you already know. 

Imagine this:

Someone wakes up. Maybe drinks coffee…unless their stomach can’t handle caffeine. Eats something. Maybe a pastry, maybe cereal, or eggs. They read something, scroll through their chosen information / media feed (probably), answer messages, emails, or Slack notifications. Then they do some more stuff…work, or school, or work/school-adjacent. Meetings. Spreadsheets. Phone calls.

Eventually, they take a break. They eat again, because humans get hungry. They probably worry about money at some point, because everyone does (yes, even if they have too much of it). They have dreams, goals, and insecurities — because everyone does. They try to do a little better today than yesterday — because everyone tries to, even when they fail. They hope, they love, they wish, they get angry and happy and upset and lonely and bored and contemplative and horny and irritated and lazy and excited. 

Maybe later they hang with family or pets, or both. Maybe they exercise, read, binge-watch TV, or stare aimlessly out a window, questioning their life choices. They’re painfully ordinary. At the end of the day — really at all times of the day — they are a human, muddling through life, much like you and I.

At some point, they (hopefully) shit. Because everyone shits. No exceptions. And eventually, they go to sleep, wake up, and repeat.

This is it. The magical formula behind every so-called wizard behind every curtain. Even if they’re running a massive corporation or “spearheading technological breakthroughs”, they’re still just a human, propped up by other ordinary humans. 

Humans behind curtains behind humans behind curtains. 

Machines and Magic Tricks

Sure, machines help. My own life runs smoother because of some pretty cool tech. But who designed the tech? Humans. Who built it? More humans. And who keeps it running smoothly day-to-day? Yep, humans again.

AI doesn’t spontaneously exist. Corporations don’t magically operate. Governments, institutions, economies…they’re all people-powered. Ordinary folks pushing buttons, writing code, signing papers, making decisions, supporting each other.

It’s always people. Everywhere.

Maybe the reason we hide behind curtains is because it feels safer. If others believe we’re special, we gain leverage. If we present ourselves as powerful or uniquely skilled, maybe we’ll actually become that. Maybe we’ll feel less vulnerable, less afraid, less mortal.

But reality is a persistent bitch. Behind every curtain is someone who worries about illness, someone who thinks about their mortality, someone who dreams and fears, wishes and wants, needs and loves. Someone just as profoundly ordinary as you.

Final Musings

Next time someone or something tries to convince you of their magic…next time they try to make you feel inadequate, try to position themselves as greater than human, just pause for a second. Take a deep breath and pull that curtain aside (in your mind, of course, don’t want to catch an assault charge). 

There’s no wizard there. Just another human, trying their best in the best way they know how.

We’re all just people hiding behind curtains, desperately trying to disguise how much we truly depend on each other. The sooner we admit this, the sooner we can stop pretending.

And maybe that’s how the real magic starts. Or maybe there is no real magic. Either way, we need each other. 

About the Author

Sam Hilsman is the CEO of CloudFruit® & he likes to write (I know this bc I am him). If you want to invest in HiiBo or oneXerp, reach out. In any case, keep doing your thang.