Can someone explain this? I never really understood.

And does "man" to the mannish races, or all mortals?

There's nothing to be taken litterally in the http://www.imperial-library.info/content/36-lessons-vivec as they are pure Michael Kirkbride mind work. This http://www.imperial-library.info/content/thirty-six-lessons-obscurity-and-deception written by Qwerty, a member of The Imperial Library might interest you too.