Question: When specialists work with people, they often encounter qualities in a person which are obvious to everyone, but the actual person does not realize he has them. In psychology this phenomenon is referred to as a “blind spot.” Can these qualities be discussed and revealed to people in groups of integral upbringing?

Answer: This will not work. You can only speak about this in a completely indirect manner, saying that all of us experience these states, not just you or me.

It’s written in every article on integral upbringing that during the process of transition from an egoistic state into an altruistic state, we begin to understand, perceive, and comprehend that there are things that we actually don’t perceive, certain peculiar “blind spots.” But they exist in reality. People around us can see them in us; they understand that so far we don’t realize that we exist in this “blind spot.” It’s as if an enormous light is blinding me and I’m not able to see anything, but the others can see me and everything around me very well.

Generally, a person always exists in a state like this, but we can only talk about it according to the person’s level. We can’t point directly at this “blind spot,” but we can guide him indirectly towards this state, taking him down an alternate route. But never directly, this will not work; on the contrary, it will only worsen the state.

He must realize it through the others, indirectly, and experience it. First, he must find the necessary feelings for this state. He must learn that he doesn’t understand something here that there’s something he doesn’t feel, and it needs to hurt.

And once it begins to hurt within him, he’ll feel disappointed, like he doesn’t understand something, is disoriented, and sees that something is happening in other people and it’s not yet happening in him; in other words, he must start feeling envious, jealous, and proud. It’s these feelings that usually blind him, not letting him see. Everyone has these states. They accompany people until complete correction. Always!

But we must understand that these “blind spots” are the states that we must correct. And this “blind spot” must always guide us forward as a light from a flashlight. This is why the group and everyone else must somehow use their qualities, attitude, and relationships to paint for me the sensation of the “blind spot” which I fail to notice in me, and the fact that I am blinded by my pride, my foolish egoism, and my narrowness, and it’s here that I must rise above myself.

This is a very complicated method. We will speak about it in the future and discuss the different approaches and solutions to it. We must help every person and all of humanity to see this “blind spot” before them. In other words, we must help all realize that this not-yet-activated area of comprehension is your next degree; it’s through the realization of evil, the realization of goodness, that you begin to perceive goodness behind evil.

But in general the “blind spot” is simply our obvious egoism, which doesn’t allow us to feel that we are in it. We believe that everything is normal and right, and we don’t feel that we appear foolish and limited in the eyes of the others. If we were to feel it, we would burn from envy, jealousy, and pride, which would force us to come out of egoism.

This is why we must very carefully spell out a forgiving method of revealing a person’s “blind spot” to him.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/27/12

Related Material:
See Yourself From Aside
Peculiarities Of Perception
Everyone Will Be Able To Apply Himself

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