Progress has not followed a straight ascending line, but a spiral with rhythms of progress and retrogression, of evolution and dissolution.
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (b.1749),
German polymath
The Way of Metamorphosis is a trilogy that explores why life passes so quickly. The answer to this question reveals the causes of loneliness and speaks to the premise of the series:
How we spend our time reflects what we value in this life, and what we value dictates the pace of life. This, aside from tragic events, influences whether a person will be happy.
Some of the guiding questions explored in the trilogy are:
Why do relationships remain dysfunctional despite humanity’s progress?
What is the connection between time and feeling overwhelmed?
Why is a successful life not necessarily a happy life?
What does human metamorphosis look like?
How is hubris related to loneliness?
Can the pace of life be slowed?
By examining the collective wisdom, past and present, the trilogy seeks to answer these questions. It draws inspiration from an ancient practice known as metamorphosis—a practice that frees one from spiritual clutter and quiets background noise.
This creates space for serenity, nurtures love, and fosters genuine friendships. But this is only possible when a meaningful life is independent of identity, success, past mistakes, or future ambitions.
The collective wisdom teaches that the journey of metamorphosis is as beautiful as it is challenging. Although it is a path of tranquility, it can feel pointless without a guiding light. This is acutely felt when despair and loneliness seem more real than love, especially during times of depression, rejection, injustice, loss, or anxiety.
For this reason, the collective wisdom values fortitude when life is spinning out of control. It takes courage, inspiration, resilience, and a healthy community to thrive. As the Stoic philosopher Seneca once wrote, “Sometimes it is an act of courage just to live.”
At birth, each person is given approximately 1,000 months to live. Around the 300-month mark—mid-twenties—humans start dying as their physical bodies decline. Anyone who lives long enough will witness their face transform until it becomes unrecognizable.
Life is terminal because everything has a time limit.
However, what is not declining or dying is the spirit—the part of you that continues to learn, expand, and mature.
It is the part of you that grows in wisdom. The part that can be more compassionate, a better listener, and more empathic. It is the part of you that longs for love and has the ability to heal from brokenness, loneliness, disappointment, and malaise. It is the part of you that is meant to metamorphosize.
These are some of the themes explored throughout the trilogy.
What, if not transformation,
is your deepest purpose?
~ Rainer Maria Rilke (b.1875),
Austrian poet and novelist
from The Ninth Duino Elegy
Parts I–III are written in the style of a Socratic dialogue, which embodies the spirit of a much larger work titled The Book of Time — A Compendium to The Way of Metamorphosis.
Part I is free to download or read online.
Click here to enjoy The Way of Metamorphosis
The Way of Metamorphosis is the creation of the philosopher Xavier Victor Montague.
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