The acquisition by a child of what scientists call a theory of mind, which can be applied to other people, comes slowly through social interaction, exploration, and experiment. It dawns gradually on the child, even hesitantly, that he can attribute phenomenal consciousness to others. But once it comes, his outlook on life, the universe and everything has to undergo a radical adjustment. For he has stumbled upon a truth second only in importance to the truth of being conscious in himself: “It’s not just me.
— Humphrey, Nicholas. Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2011.
