Listening to Others and Listening to Yourself

The Espers were, all things considered, rather curious beings.

Their history, spanning several tens of thousands of years, had led them, not without difficulties, to control their planet, to the point of being capable of impacting its global ecosystem.

The discovery and use of magic had accelerated the evolution of their civilization, but they also made a paradox increasingly clear: listening, though at the very heart of the bonds that united them, was gradually disappearing.

Listening to others, first of all, as the notions of freedom and individualism took on an increasingly important place in society, sometimes putting an end to dialogue and to discussions that were nevertheless important.

For magic had already altered the global environment of their planet, and its consequences were beginning to become increasingly visible.

The other creatures of the planet, once numerous and diverse, were disappearing, the lush forests had been cleared, and glaciers throughout the world were beginning to melt.

Discussions about the future of their own species, while a new technology, both promising but above all potentially dangerous, was emerging, did not exist in the public sphere.

For perhaps even more important than listening to others, few were still capable of listening to themselves and hearing their inner voice, the voice of their Shadow…

A Shadow which, if left untamed, listens to the Shadow of their civilization as a whole…

Learning to listen to yourself is therefore also learning to see the world as it truly is.


Our latest tales

  • A Simple Life

    A Simple Life

    The development of technologies based on fossil fuels has changed the way the richest countries ruling the world live and behave. Not that anyone would rather return to the Stone Age, but when we recognize the physical limitations of planet Earth, we understand that those who will suffer are not only the forms of biodiversity…

    Read more

  • Just a Little Time, but Daily

    Just a Little Time, but Daily

    Shala, the Shape of Time, understood better than anyone how powerful habits were for the Espers. To nurture their StarDust, it was important that those habits be as healthy and beneficial to society as possible. Why? Because time each day is limited, and the StarDust functions in a special way: a few minutes of daily…

    Read more

  • Incoherent System

    Incoherent System

    It is now widely accepted that climate change is happening—and that its consequences are rather bleak. On top of that, we also understand that the fuels causing this crisis are limited, as are all resources on our shared planet, Earth. Meanwhile, the entire system remains rooted in a growth-oriented economy that fails to take into…

    Read more

  • A Trap Named Passivity

    A Trap Named Passivity

    Isn’t it easy to simply watch what’s in front of our eyes and go on with our own lives? Yet what we can see now extends far beyond our neighborhood — the entire world is at our doorstep. Of course, no one can carry all the world’s problems on their own shoulders. But that doesn’t…

    Read more

  • The Basic Needs

    The Basic Needs

    Kenko, the Shape of Health, was certain of one thing: unless the basic needs of the Espers were made a priority, Esperia would never know true peace. The right to proper sleep, and access to healthy food and clean water for all, were the very first steps toward creating a harmonious society. These fundamentals were…

    Read more

  • Calming Down

    Calming Down

    The Shape of Awareness and Element of Lightning, Eklea, had quite an electric temperament. She loved to bounce from place to place, and as swiftly as roaring thunder, she would try to teach consciousness to anyone willing to listen. But when someone was truly all ears, she could also calm down, creating a gentle electrical…

    Read more

  • Finding Yourself Through Love

    Finding Yourself Through Love

    Does this title sound cliché? I guess so. But is it true? Absolutely. Of course, the word love carries as many meanings as there are human beings on our shared planet. For most of us, the first love we experience is that of our mother, who carries us for months and cares for us by…

    Read more

  • The “Modern World”

    The “Modern World”

    Cha Cha, our platypus friend, was thinking about what the “Modern World” had become—and how paradoxical it was. Thanks to new technologies that turned machines into the world’s new servants, life had become easier for some of the richest countries. But this comfort came at the cost of irreversible damage to the environment—damage that was…

    Read more