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25793 |
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Date: March 24, 2018 at 11:27:57
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: on observing internal considering |
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Amwell, 8.10.49 ON OBSERVING INTERNAL CONSIDERING Maurice Nicoll
If people say that they do not know what to observe in themselves, they should study what the Work teaches in this respect. For example, the Work says we must observe Internal Considering, one side of which is making accounts against other people. Making accounts against other people means feeling that they owe you something for their bad behaviour towards you. Some people make themselves very weak by this form of Internal Considering, feeling they are owed by others and believing that if others treated them better their own lives would be different. Now who of you has observed this form of making inner accounts ? It is useless to tell me that you do not know what to observe if you have not begun to observe this in yourself. If you have been making these internal accounts against everyone all day long, you will be in a most unhappy position and probably become sleepless, bitter, ill and all the rest of it. On one occasion we were told to observe our self-pity. It is very easy to observe self-pity in other people. For example, one sees a person who touches a hot kettle and st arts back as if something horrible had been done to him or her. Or this person cannot find something and feels apparently very badly treated even though he or she has mislaid it. This exaggerated self-pitying response to everything in life is of course a form of making inner accounts—i.e. a form of Internal Considering. These people are weak in being. But they do not observe why.
Some people can so easily make internal accounts and are so full of self-pity that if it rains when they propose to go for a walk they will feel hurt by the Universe and feel that something is hostile to them. This points to a weak level of being. It is as if a person were to say: "May all Second Force be removed from me so that I can always have my own way." An over-sensitive reaction to the ordinary events of life can charge us up with negative emotions which come through this self-pitying view of life that we take. Its origin is that we think that life should treat us better, we think that people should treat us better, and so, being weak inside ourselves, we accumulate a lot of internal accounts every day and build up a dragging past, a sick past. In that case, something stronger must grow in us, and this can only happen through observing that we do shrink too much, feeling too tenderly about our- selves in our relationship to what happens in external life to us person- ally. All this is a very good way to observe oneself practically because it can lead to a much stronger level of being, by making it conscious. But if we do not observe this, our being will be weak because of this constant unconscious way of taking everything, which can become so exaggerated that everything, all day long, upsets us and makes us feel miserable, and also is a nuisance to others.
Now people who are very insensitive to themselves and how they react, but over-sensitive to outer life, will perhaps say that they cannot see what they have to observe in this respect. Well, in that case, I advise them to observe where they get suddenly hurt, as when they touch a kettle which is rather hot and almost weep because life has been so cruel. I remember at the French Institute I learnt a great deal about that side of myself because things were not arranged in that place entirely to suit us. On a cold and frosty morning one had to get up at 5.30 and it was no good weeping about it. In other words, one had to will what one had to do and not make too many requirements. Now if you make a lot of internal accounts and do not observe what is happening, you will tend to become rather an invalid—at least, that is one thing that can happen—or else you become bitter, negative, brooding over the injustices of life and the lack of appreciation which surrounds you. This is rather idiotic—I mean, you have not met life with some inner strength. The Work, rightly understood, can give you inner strength. It is stronger than life.
Now let us turn to another thing that we can and must observe— namely, the absence of Self-Remembering in oneself. Do you try to take life from the Work point of view or do you take it from your mechanical reactions to life ? If you bring the Work in between what happens in life and how you react to life, you will already be beginning to remember yourself. For example, something unpleasant has happened to you. Logically, you have every right to be upset. But if you are negative it is your fault. So if the Work and all its teaching intervenes between you and your reaction, you will be able to develop your being through the power of the intervening Work, by not reacting mechanically. The Work can transform you. As long as you react mechanically at every moment your level of being will remain as it is. There will be no self-transformation. Ideally speaking, external life would have no power over you, if you remembered yourself, but this is far from us all. Realize how far—and it will come nearer. But if a man could really remember himself, it would lead to this result eventually. Again, when people say to me that they do not know what to observe in themselves, one answer is: "Can you observe your negative states? Can you observe that you are negative?" Remember, as I said, if you are negative it is always your fault. Self-justifying has such sway over us however that it takes us years before we can realize what this means. Remember, if I am negative it is my fault. I have allowed something to turn sour which I should never allow to turn sour. But to observe all the negative states in oneself belongs to a great inner sincerity and therefore a great belief in what the Work teaches. Why should I not be negative ? a person might ask. The answer is that this is one of the essential teachings of the Work. If you are negative you will conduct wrong influences and yo u will never get in touch with the influences from Higher Centres which have such a gentle and curative value and can change your level of being imperceptibly. There are many other things that I can say as regards what people have to observe in themselves but these are sufficient, so do not ask me what it is that you have to observe in yourselves. Do not keep on writing to me, asking what it is you have to observe in yourselves. I might answer that you seem not to have yet any idea of work on your- selves. I will add one final thing: it is a very good thing for you all to cut down unnecessary emotions, and live more simply and sincerely in yourselves.
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Responses:
[25799] [25796] [25797] [25802] [25798] [25801] [25803] [25804] [25805] [25795] |
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25799 |
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Date: March 25, 2018 at 20:40:16
From: JimW, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on observing internal considering, How True! and... |
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I was taught that self-pity is one of the most frequent reasons to return to alcohol or drugs. I had to learn the hard way for many years. For us in recovery it is called a self-created Pity Party.
I still go back to it at times. Being vigilant and facing your behavior can pull one out of it rather quickly. Another one for me was and still is from time to time, self-importance. Once I was told by my counselor, "Please retire from being the emperor of the universe. Good article. Many aspects to what it is saying.
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25796 |
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Date: March 25, 2018 at 16:26:57
From: et, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances |
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Ryan why consider what other own us instead of what we owe others? I kind of stoped rather ealy into what you shared given the perception of what others owe me... why hold that attitude and inclination ? heck even if other owe us whatever it may be better for us to focus on something more worthwhile ... especially if others can't and will never opt to repay what they owe us ... heck even if they owe us stuff it may be better to scratch the line and cut the line and be unlinked to them...
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Responses:
[25797] [25802] [25798] [25801] [25803] [25804] [25805] |
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25797 |
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Date: March 25, 2018 at 17:05:39
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances |
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apparently you didn't understand the commentary...
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Responses:
[25802] [25798] [25801] [25803] [25804] [25805] |
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25802 |
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Date: March 27, 2018 at 14:32:52
From: Sue/Seattle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances |
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IMO "understanding" can be subjective at times
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25798 |
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Date: March 25, 2018 at 17:27:57
From: et, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances |
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Ryan ... as I stated "I kind of stoped rather ealy into what you shared"... given the issue of why consider what other own us instead of what we owe others? or considering something else.... so the notion that apparently I didn't understand the commentary seems to me to show telltale sings of not gettin nor dealing what what was state by or via me.... though I do realize why some would respond as you have instead of dealiing wth the posted issues...
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Responses:
[25801] [25803] [25804] [25805] |
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25801 |
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Date: March 26, 2018 at 18:13:53
From: Nevada, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances |
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...by stopping the Work "rather early" you sort of denied yourself the opportunity for a really fruitful dialogue about a really important spiritual concept.
Ryan merely pointed out the obvious... no more, no less.
Instead of telling us you didn't finish the "lesson", it might be useful to the process to go back and read again and go on from there.
Otherwise it's just a "potential" pissing match...
My hunch is that if you study this a little deeper, it will connect with several of your preexisting spiritual values and you won't be as challenged by Ryan's rather direct but probably correct assessment of your response.
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Responses:
[25803] [25804] [25805] |
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25803 |
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Date: March 27, 2018 at 19:29:02
From: et, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances |
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Nevada I read what you wrote and decided to go read the top post on this thread and... well ratified the original assessment and that it would had been better for me to forgo delving into these matters...
It's quite evident to me that Ryan ' didn't understand the commentary..." created by me nor sought to find out if there was something pertinent to what was stated...
Often I find others stop the Work 'rather early' to avoid dealing with the stuff and reaching the natural resolutions... As to " you sort of denied yourself the opportunity for a really fruitful dialogue about a really important spiritual concept"... well maybe I simply treated myself to forgo dealing with that highly loaded ordeal... and having now read that text I realized that forgoing such adventure would had been preferable...
I hold that the point you referred to "... merely pointed out the obvious... no more, no less" involves some stuff that better be reconsidered.
As to "Instead of telling us you didn't finish the 'lesson', it might be useful to the process to go back and read again and go on from there". Well I find that's not the case after going back and reading the stuff... in fact I realize now how the initial assessment done by me that the text was highly loaded with a particular bias that shall we say was not good...
As to "... it's just a 'potential' pissing match..." well I will pass on that... though I will point out that based on what I have seen the notion of "... probably correct assessment of your response" be quite far from the truth of the matter..
I find it curious how so many seem to find negative stuff as good and good as negative instead of recognizing and treating each accordingly as each better be treated...in other words I find it curious how some will jump and reject the truth while rooting for the none truths... it ought to be the other way jump and embrace the truth while rooting out the none truths and cultivating the real actual truths...
thanks for your response... which I imagine you had good intentions to generate...
had we been in a different time and place I might have opted to do a phantom rendition to shift from a not so positive framing to a more positive framing ... in other words do a recount of all the wonderful stuff to appreciate... and to be grateful for... which in a way be behind the notion of what we owe others... though it`s more along the lines of to love given one has been loved... pay it forward...
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[25804] [25805] |
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25804 |
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Date: March 27, 2018 at 19:40:30
From: JimW, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: et, making it very simple |
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You could have said all that in two sentences.
Now I will give you my response in two sentences: 1. In your world, you are never wrong 2. You really like to argue
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[25805] |
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25805 |
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Date: March 27, 2018 at 20:00:26
From: Nevada, [DNS_Address]
Subject: ...or in ryan's world... |
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...own your own negativity.
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25795 |
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Date: March 24, 2018 at 14:44:01
From: Sue/Seattle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on observing internal considering |
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I had an interesting assignment while in school. Ask several people who are close to you to come up with a set number of adjectives to describe you in certain settings. It was a real eye-opener.
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