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25793


Date: March 24, 2018 at 11:27:57
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: on observing internal considering


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.


Responses:
[25799] [25796] [25797] [25802] [25798] [25801] [25803] [25804] [25805] [25795]


25799


Date: March 25, 2018 at 20:40:16
From: JimW, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on observing internal considering, How True! and...


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.


Responses:
None


25796


Date: March 25, 2018 at 16:26:57
From: et, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances


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...


Responses:
[25797] [25802] [25798] [25801] [25803] [25804] [25805]


25797


Date: March 25, 2018 at 17:05:39
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances


apparently you didn't understand the commentary...


Responses:
[25802] [25798] [25801] [25803] [25804] [25805]


25802


Date: March 27, 2018 at 14:32:52
From: Sue/Seattle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances


IMO "understanding" can be subjective at times


Responses:
None


25798


Date: March 25, 2018 at 17:27:57
From: et, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances



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...


Responses:
[25801] [25803] [25804] [25805]


25801


Date: March 26, 2018 at 18:13:53
From: Nevada, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances


...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.


Responses:
[25803] [25804] [25805]


25803


Date: March 27, 2018 at 19:29:02
From: et, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on considering observing internal happenances



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...


Responses:
[25804] [25805]


25804


Date: March 27, 2018 at 19:40:30
From: JimW, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: et, making it very simple


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


Responses:
[25805]


25805


Date: March 27, 2018 at 20:00:26
From: Nevada, [DNS_Address]
Subject: ...or in ryan's world...


...own your own negativity.


Responses:
None


25795


Date: March 24, 2018 at 14:44:01
From: Sue/Seattle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: on observing internal considering


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.


Responses:
None


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