Objectifying others—essentially ceasing to regard them as significant, unique, or deserving of consideration—can lead to a deterioration of your own self-image. You come to the realization that you are not special either. You too may not be a "solid," "important" "person." Instead, you are merely a transient phenomenon—a series of causes and effects—similar to clouds, trees, or even a barking dog.
Initially, this acknowledgment can feel unsettling and frightening. The ego reacts defensively, insisting:
"But what about me? My aspirations? My individuality?!"
If you persist in this reflection, you may experience a dissolution of self-importance.
Then comes the profound insight:
Without the weighty obligation to safeguard "yourself,"
Without the necessity to define your worth through others,
What remains is simply observing, existing, and flowing.
This state aligns with what many Zen masters refer to as "no-self" (anatta in Buddhism).
There is no actor; there is only action.
There is no thinker; there is just thought.
There is no lover; there is only love.
