How to Solve Life's Problems: Applying the Ideas of Spinoza and Gurdjieff

Growth takes place beyond the present level of our state of being. We must exceed our usual effort level to grow. No growth is possible without outgrowth. But growth does not consist of going against old patterns. We must have some idea of a better pattern of thinking and force our minds to come to the ideas necessary to produce that new level of clarity. The force of inertia must be surpassed. An individual who has fallen into quicksand will not free himself by struggling against the quicksand. He must get hold of something which is beyond the branch of a tree, a rope that will not give way, and so on; and by holding onto it, pull himself to good ground. We must latch onto some specific idea which involves more thinking activity. As we pull ourselves toward the good ground, we leave behind the swamp. Emerson said, “Hitch your wagon to a star. Keep your seat and there you are.” When we are idealistic, we have a sense of the better but may fail to realize how deeply rooted we are in our old patterns of thinking. A dynamic specific effort is required to come to the realization of our ideals. True ideals are not realized outside ourselves; they are discovered within. I originated these essays from recorded messages in an effort to reach individuals who have an intense desire and need to grow: individuals willing to put in the required effort, using the tools of knowledge we make available. These essays present, in brief, some of the ideas that I have learned or evolved in the 45 years I have dedicated to an in-depth study of human nature. The individual seeking answers that he or she has not discovered heretofore may find helpful insights in these essays. But as Gurdjieff has stressed, real growth is possible only for the individual committed to a real work group, properly directed.