In Chapter 1, Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz present the concept that each person arrives as a messenger with a unique program encoded in their DNA that determines their authentic nature. Initially, children follow this program instinctively, pursuing what brings them joy.

As children develop, they learn to use symbols and language to communicate. This process requires significant effort as they master thousands of words. Once they learn to speak, caregivers begin transmitting knowledge, including social and moral rules through what the authors call “domestication”—a system of punishment and reward. Children are labeled “good” when they meet expectations and “bad” when they fail to comply. Through fear of punishment or desire for reward, children learn to please others.

The authors explain that during domestication, beliefs are imposed rather than chosen. Children accept what adults tell them about right and wrong, good and bad. This information enters through attention, which serves as a bridge for message transmission between humans.

As language mastery develops, children begin thinking with symbols, creating what the authors term “the voice of knowledge”—the internal dialogue incorporating opinions from family, teachers, and peers about identity.