Q: Loved your book. The main question I have after reading it is why and how did humans get off track developmentally?

A: This is discussed in the book, but I think a good thing to clarify is that the false self isn’t an error; it’s a developmental structure.

Human beings construct identity in early life to navigate a social world in order to belong, be recognized, avoid rejection, and organize behavior. That structure is functional; it allows children to become socially…