Miguel Ruiz
Ruiz is the author and narrator of The Four Agreements. Ruiz describes himself as a “nagual,” a descendent of the ancient Toltec society of southern Mexico. In The Four Agreements, Ruiz…
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Judge
Ruiz argues that most people’s lives are controlled by two inner voices that give a running commentary on every move they make. The first of these is the Judge, which evaluates everything a person thinks…
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Victim
Ruiz argues that since most people go through life with an internal commentary on everything they are doing imperfectly (delivered by their inner critical voice, the Judge), they also develop another inner voice—which he…
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The Smokey Mirror (the student of medicine)
According to a parable that Ruiz relates, Smokey Mirror was a student learning medicine thousands of years ago. He had a revelation in a cave that everything in the universe is made of light that…
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Minor Characters
Man
This is a man who, Ruiz relates, wants to transcend suffering by mediating.
Master
The master is a Buddhist who tells the man that it will take him longer to transcend suffering if he meditates too much.
Old Man
Ruiz describes this character as a man who shares his love with the reader in the form of a flame from his heart.
Teacher
The teacher is a man who, according to Ruiz, shared his love (as a flame from his heart) with the old man.
