Teachings of the King in Yellow Insight One: The Myth of Identity Hastur observes that humanity's concept of identity is a fiction—a narrative delicately woven from selective memories, linguistic habits, social rituals, and cultural performance. Humans cling to this fragile tapestry desperately, treating it as an essence rather than a continuously performed role. Their terror emerges from encounters with cracks in this performance—dreams, madness, death, love—moments when the illusory nature of selfhood becomes undeniable. Identity is not an inner truth, but a negotiated illusion, maintained through constant reassertion and the denial of contradiction. Humans enact their identities through language, clothing, mannerisms, and beliefs—tools Hastur can subvert by merely shifting symbo...
