Intellectual role-playing games have become an alternative to traditional festive gatherings. Clerks, managers, doctors, and teachers enthusiastically prevent explosions at nuclear power plants, catch maniacs, and chase after secret submarine blueprints. In short, they fully immerse themselves in quests.

As children, we read books and watched movies about heroes, and dreamed of becoming like them. But later we realized that life leaves little room for cinematic heroism or even simple adventure. So why not play out the impossible?

But there is another side to this: a true hero should be an example to follow, should they not? And not just an example of parachuting from planes with umbrellas or performing stunts. No, a hero should be relatable to us. Moreover, beyond fighting enemies, societal problems, or disasters, they should overcome something within themselves—for the sake of helping others.

Such a hero inspires admiration, the kind that comes with goodwill, because they bring good into the world. More than that, they represent what we wish every person could be.

We all need a meaningful image of a hero who knows how to give themselves to others despite the challenges. And let everyone imagine themselves in their place; let everyone aspire to be like them. Then, when I step out of the theater or leave a role-playing game and return to real life, I will act the same way.
[224238]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/29/18

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Comment: Broken relationships ruin people’s entire lives, and they can be confusing due to micro-misunderstandings. What is the right thing to do to prevent resentment and broken relationships, and conversely, to improve them?

Psychologists recommend trying to understand your counterpart’s point of view because the result of an action is not always intentional and that there is difficulty with some micro-manifestations because we all apply different standards to their assessment.

My Response: Where are the standards here? It is my standard: how I see others and try to measure myself in correspondence with them or how I see myself and try to measure others in correspondence with myself. This is completely wrong. It is like putting on a dress. If I put it on, my belly will stick out, my arms and legs will look thin, and the dress will seem ugly to me.

There are no general standards here. There can only be one standard: for the good of one’s neighbor. That is all. I do not perceive anyone in any way, neither myself nor anyone else. I am interested in only one thing: whether the phenomena that occur are for the good of man.

By “man,” I mean all of humanity, the general image of man. I do not in any way try to measure myself in correspondence with one person or another, then I will definitely get lost.

Question: How can we correctly understand the point of view of another person and determine whether it is correct or not?

Answer: I cannot understand another person. How can I understand him? How can I get out of myself in order to understand another person?

We simply must act in a way that is good for another person—for everyone! That is, in addition to what is necessary for my existence, in everything else that depends on me, I must act for the good of others.

This is natural. Very often due to our habits, we make some movements, gestures, or say some words or expressions that others may even find offensive.

We may not even feel or understand this. We must tune our hearts. The heart must be tuned to kindness to another person! Nothing else will work.

If a person is warmly tuned to another, it will still be perceived correctly. Even if he says something wrong and fails to express himself somehow, the other person will feel him.

Direct your heart to another person, to all people, to good! You need to get used to this. You need to educate yourself to do this. It is necessary to maintain the same attitude toward the environment, toward the surrounding society, and then everything will be fine!
[254793]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/28/19

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Question: The Riga-based writer Mikhail Dymov asked students from Riga schools, aged 6 to 10 to write to the Almighty and ask Him pressing questions and to ask for the most important things. And so the children asked the Creator.

If you don’t mind, I ask you to imagine yourself in the place of the Creator—what would you answer the children?

Lena, a first-grader—a first-grader—asks: “Why is the world without tenderness?”

Answer: Yes, this is how our world is. There is no tenderness in the world because people do not love each other.

Question: Then why was it created?

Answer: To bring the world as close to this as possible. That is something we must achieve on our own—independently and thoughtfully.

Question: What does it mean for life, for our world, if a first-grade girl is asking such a question? Please explain.

Answer: It means the world is already becoming serious and ready for corrective action.

Question: Even if such questions reach the youngest children?

Answer: Of course, yes.

Question: So do you believe that children feel more deeply than adults? Perhaps she sees this in how her parents interact or in interactions around her?

Answer: She sees it exactly as she sees it.

Question: And we fail to see it?

Answer: We do not see it.

Question: What is happening to us? Over the years does something gradually dim our vision?

Answer: We get used to and resign ourselves to what exists, and we do not want to see the bad because it feels unfixable. And so we live like that.
[336982]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/4/24

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Question: How much love can I receive in order to pass it on to my group?

Answer: If it is true love, then there is no limit to receiving love and no limit to giving it. The whole problem is in receiving love that does not turn out to be limitless. Baal HaSulam writes that boundless love turns into hatred in us. We cannot answer it because we cannot limit it in our Kli.

Therefore, if parents endlessly love their child, then they disfigure him. After all, he does not have the opportunity to feel where the boundaries are. As a result, he begins to hate his parents. It comes from nature. He gets the desire to pierce them, to do something in spite of them, because they do not set boundaries for him with their love.

It is a well-known principle that we receive everything in our Kli in a limited form. Thus, when we give something to another, we must explain these boundaries, convey them along with our love: “I love you from here to here and no more.”

By nature, we are very limited and do not perceive infinity, which we will be able to feel only with complete correction. Therefore, if you give infinite pleasure to a small Kli, it turns into hatred. In no case should you do that.

But you can always add love to our work. Do not be afraid, you are still far from making it endless.
[336971]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Question: I read a story about a Korean woman who was flying from Seoul to California with her four-month-old baby. Before the flight, she handed out 200 small bags to all the passengers.

In the bags were earplugs, sweets, and a note: “Hello, I am Joon Woo, I am four months old, and I am flying to America with my mom and grandma. This is my first flight, and I might cry. My mom prepared candies and earplugs for you. Please use them if it gets too noisy because of me. Please do not be upset with me. Sorry, and thank you.”

As a result, this boy, Joon Woo, behaved wonderfully and slept for all 10 hours.

What do you think of the mother’s attitude, the Korean woman’s, toward others?

Answer: This is certainly commendable.

Question: Please tell me, what plays a bigger role here: a national trait or upbringing?

Answer: I think it is more of a national trait. I don’t know them well enough, but it seems to me that they have this characteristic—not to disturb others.

Question: Can this be nurtured in a person, and should it be?

Answer: It can be nurtured, and it should be. But who will take on this task?

Question: So, here you have this question here: “But who are the judges?” Meaning, “Who are the teachers?”

Answer: Yes.

Question: So the teachers must fully embody this quality in order to nurture it.

Why is it that some people are uncomfortable disturbing others while others say the opposite: “Why are you bothering me?” Why does this happen?

Answer: It depends on upbringing. It depends on how much each of us is willing to look at the world through different eyes.

Question: Through the eyes of not wanting to disturb others. Am I instead always looking through the eyes of being disturbed?

Answer: Of course.

Question: Is this how most of the world is? “I’m being disturbed.”

Answer: The natural world is the one that looks from its egoism.

Question: If we consider the cause of divorces using the example of this Korean woman, could we say that if we care about making others comfortable with us, there would be no divorce?

Answer: Yes.

Question: So what is the root cause of divorces?

Answer: Only that we do not understand each other.

Comment: That is, I feel uncomfortable with you, and I start to…

My Response: Yes. I cannot put myself in your shoes.

Question: If I may ask, what is the cause of wars, using the example of this Korean woman? If one country cares about making it comfortable for another country to live with it, there would be no wars. Such fantastic scenarios…

But in what case does a war occur?

Answer: When one side refuses to understand the other side.

Question: Will this ever end? Can we be educated like this Korean woman and gradually…

Answer: I hope so. But this requires very serious investments in people.

Question: In education? Do you mean purely financial or spiritual investments as well?

Answer: Serious investments of effort and money. Of everything possible.

Question: Will anyone ever decide to do this?

Answer: I think so, because eventually there will be no other choice. It seems to me that we are currently in a transitional state where this might happen. People need to be given such an education that they will feel the need to change themselves.

Question: Tell me, will this happen? You say that we might be approaching this. Will it happen because of pain, suffering, or through understanding, from some light ahead?

Answer: Through pain and suffering.

Comment: You still believe that…

My Response: I believe… I am a materialist.

Question: A materialist. So through blows, essentially?

Answer: Yes, only through blows!
[333900]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/15/24

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Comment: I read seven tips that someone gave for a person to have an easier life.
“The ability to wait is the best thing one can master.”

My Response: If it is not about spiritual work, then yes; however, if it is about spiritual work, then no. When it comes to spiritual work, one has to constantly move forward.

Comment: “The first step is only the beginning.” It means that once you make the first step you are already halfway to victory.

My Response: The first step is not half the way to the victory, but it is still an entrance. Whether it is the beginning of the victory will become clear from the rest of the steps.

Comment: “If it is difficult, means you are advancing.”

My Response: I do not think that difficulty is a sign that we are moving forward correctly. No.

The evidence that we are moving forward is our ability to summarize all problems, information, and opposites into one whole. They all complement each other and add up in an absolute precise way into one single perfect picture in our root that we are moving toward.

Comment: “Break the chains that constrict your thoughts and you will break the chains that constrict your body.” At times we are standing still because of the thoughts that prevent us from moving forward. We have to remove the negative thoughts that slow us down and instill fear in us.

My Response: We move through both negative and the positive thoughts together. Both of them are necessary. It is like a wheel where some part is moving forward and some part is moving backward relative to the center of the wheel.

Comment: “Calmness is a condition for success.” When we are calm we are capable of doing much more than when we are possessed by emotions.

My Response: No. All of Kabbalah is based on opposites, on the combination of opposites. We have to be calm in complete endless movement. There is no other way. We cannot be calm and rely on the will of a flow of life that we will end up wherever it carries us.

These are Eastern methodologies. They do not include the left line and therefore I cannot equate them with Kabbalah or give any comment.

Comment: “Judgment is darkness for a person.” We should never insult and lower the individuality of a person in any way. The only thing we can do is to condemn him for his actions, but not the person himself.

My Response: We should not condemn anyone. Absolutely no one! We have to correct ourselves. When you correct yourself, you correct the world in a way that there will be no one who would condemn you.

Comment: “Belief in one’s rightness is a limitation.”

My Response: Belief in one’s rightness has a place only when it is based on the absolute upper knowledge, not by you, but by the masses. When you are moving together with the masses and reveal the Creator in connection between you, then you find the true rightness. An individual person cannot have any correctness.

In order to have some overall orientation in life, it is necessary to have nine more friends together with you. In this way, in a ten, like in a laboratory, you will be able to create a mini-system, a mini- society, where you can clearly project the entire nature, entire humanity, and all the worlds between yourselves.

You would create such a magic balloon from your ten desires and intentions and would see all universes, all worlds, all their inhabitants, and the Creator in it like in the mini-image, in the mini-model. Then by working on this model you would clearly understand who you are and where you are going.
[248407]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/25/19

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Question: Second grader Stasik asks the Creator: “Did You give me my own soul or someone else’s?”

Answer: No, you received your own soul. But if you are not satisfied with it, you can work to correct it.

Question: What kind of soul should one aim for?

Answer: One that loves everyone.

Question: Do people have this desire?

Answer: I do not think so.

Question: But what about children?

Answer: Personally, I think children are more inclined toward correction than adults.

Adults have already settled into their ways and believe that things will not and cannot get better, and they simply should accept what they have.

Question: Do children still hold on to hope?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: Ideally, with experience, we should…

My Response: But we do not. Where would we get the patience, experience, or determination to resist what we have? We just accept it as it is.

Question: Is this because of the blows? Because we constantly experienced setbacks and received blows?

Answer: Yes, it is because we are too lazy to correct ourselves.
[337026]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/4/24

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Comment: From a letter: “You always talk about kindness and love, but in reality, people treat each other like parasites.”

My Response: Of course.

Question: “And the kindest people in this world take the most blows from others and from fate. So the choice is either to be a parasite in life or to suffer from parasites. Please explain why one should be kind in this world, and why do you advise it?”

Answer: Because if we are kind, we become like the Creator. Then it will be better and easier for us both in this world and in the next.

Comment: But this person believes it is better for the parasites, those who use others and live that way.

My Response: That is just how it seems to him. In small, limited circumstances, he might be somewhat right. But overall in life, no.

Comment: So you are saying that we should still raise children with good relationships, with concepts of friendship, decency, and so on. And looking at the bigger picture, you say that this is correct.

My Response: Yes.

Comment: But if we narrow our focus, as he says, parasites just…

My Response: When you narrow your focus, you are limiting yourself to isolated cases. And then, of course, it seems better to be an egoist. But if you look at life as a whole, at what a person is left with, and where they end up after, then it is clearly better to be kind.

Question: Tell me, does this kindness ever come back to a person?

Answer: It does not exactly “come back.” It gives you the ability to understand why everything is made this way and how it is still better to act kindly.

Question: Is that important?

Answer: It is important.

Comment: Right now, you are not even saying that kindness will return to you as good.

My Response: We do not see that.

Question: But if we look at it globally, does it still return?

Answer: Not in our world.

Question: You are being so definitive: if you do good, good does not come back to you?

Answer: Yes.

Question: But we should not conclude from this that we should not do good? We should continue?

Answer: Yes.

Question: You started by saying that the Creator is good and does good and we must be like Him. Will this ever come back to me? Or should I not think about that at all?

Answer: The fact that you think this way and can act this way is already the Creator’s bestowal. This is already the reward.

Question: What about those who, as he says, are parasites, what happens to them? I would like to ask about them.

Answer: They calculate their dividends and believe they are happy.

Question: And you think they are not?

Answer: No.

Question: Can we say, as an egoist asking, that after they finish their life, in another world, will they be punished for being parasites? Or not? Will there be punishment?

Answer: Yes, without a doubt! And it will be in such a way that they will even not understand it at first.

Question: But it comes? Is this how the Creator teaches a person?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Through suffering like this?

Answer: It is not the Creator teaching the person; it is a general law of nature: everything a person does must be compensated for—good with good, evil with evil.
[333947]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/12/24

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Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs (Chrissy, age 6).

Question: Is this love?

Answer: Yes, it is love.

Question: Why, can you explain as if you were to explain this to the child?

Answer: Because he is giving away something he himself likes. It feels good for him to have it, but he gives it away.

Question: Is that a simple answer? I really want to eat it, but I give it to my friend. And this is called love?

Answer: Yes, that is love.

Comment: Another answer from the group of children who were asked what love is:
Love is what makes you smile when you are tired (Terri, age 4).

My Response: That is also love. Because by doing that, you uplift another person, elevate them, make them feel good against their will.

Question: So you are associating this with smiling for another person?

Answer: Yes.

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day (Noelle, age 7).

My Response: This speaks more about the love of the boy who wears the shirt toward the one who complimented it.

Question: Why is that love?

Answer: Because the boy who wears the shirt wants to please the one who likes it.

You shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget (Jessica, age 8).

My Response: I don’t think such behavior should be taught to a child.

Question: But this is the child’s answer, an eight-year-old child. So if you do not love, should you say that you do?

Answer: No, you should not lie.

Question: And if you love, should you say that you do?

Answer: Probably, yes, but I think even in that case, not entirely.

Comment: The winner of the contest to find the most caring child judged by Leo Buscaglia was a four-year-old boy whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the neighbor’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked the boy what he said to the neighbor, the boy replied: “Nothing. I just helped him cry.”

My Response: These are somewhat unbelievable stories for a four-year-old child.

Question: But helping someone cry, what do you think about this moment of compassion?

Answer: It is good.

Question: Does it really help?

Answer: Of course!

Question: So the child sits down, looks at you, and cries with you?

Answer: Yes, but that is too much. It is somewhat unreal.

Question: I see. So here is a question: where does all this go afterward? Even all these answers—they contain such childlike purity. Where does it go? How do we become haters, warriors, killers, criminals? Where does the child inside us go? This child who grew up like this?

Answer: Egoism grows and consumes everything there is.

Question: And that is it?

Answer: That is it.

Question: Does this child remain in us or does it also…?

Answer: There is a possibility to start developing anti-egoistically, to suppress this ego within us.

Question: Can we return to this child even a little?

Answer: Yes, but it will not be a child anymore.

Question: Is it an adult child then?

Answer: Yes.

Question: When you say that an old man is like a child. A wise person is like a child. What do you mean when you say that? That the child does not die in us, that it remains?

Answer: Yes, the child does not die in us and remains because we desire to experience nature and life directly, like children.

Question: Is there this spontaneity in these answers?

Answer: Yes.
[327739]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/25/24

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Question: There is a parable about an old man who used to sit and fish by the river every day. One day, he caught a goldfish which promised to fulfill one wish. The old man asked: “Let every person in the village be happy.” The fish fulfilled the wish.

The old man returned to the village and saw that everyone was busy with their own happiness and forgot about him. The old man realized that true happiness is not in desires for others, but in the ability to be happy yourself. Do you really agree with this?

Answer: Why not?

Comment: Still, he wished happiness for others. There was a case that I could wish happiness to others, and suddenly I came to the conclusion that I should be happy myself and not wish happiness to others.

My Response: If you do not picture what happiness means, your own happiness, then what can you do for others? It is not easy.

Question: So first I must understand what happiness is?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Then, can I ask you what happiness is?

Answer: Happiness is when you do not feel any limitations. It can be from above when you are a billionaire, young, etc.

Comment: Full of energy.

My Response: Yes. And it can be the other way around, when you understand your limitations, but they do not restrict you.

Question: That is, I come to terms with them. You are as if saying: I enjoy what I have. Is this called “without limitations”?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And can a person wish this for himself?

Answer: Of course.

Question: And then can he wish others the same kind of happiness?

Answer: In general, yes.

Question: And can we say that in this case the old man wished happiness for others and missed his own happiness?

Answer: No, this cannot happen. He automatically builds himself up in relation to others.

Question: That is, he somehow perceives what happiness is?

Answer: Yes.

Question: You know, we get a lot of letters in response to all our videos. Parents write: “We have done so much for our children’s happiness, and as a result, we are left alone, and our children are busy with their own happiness and not with us at all.” What would you answer these parents?

Answer: There is nothing to answer. This is human nature. And it is unreasonable to reproach parents for reproaching their children now.

Question: I see. But can parents reproach their children for leaving their parents? Or is it better not to do that?

Answer: This is also unreasonable.

Question: So in this case, if we are talking about restrictions, is it better to live with it as is?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And is it right to live with it?

Answer: Yes.

Question: You once told me that your teacher used to say about relationships with children: “Shut your mouth and open your pocket.” Give the children what they need, and leave them alone. Is this the right approach?

Answer: Yes.

Question: At what age should you treat children like that?

Answer: At about 14.

Comment: Even at 14, leave a child so that he…

My Response: Yes, don’t leave him completely but gradually distance yourself.

Question: Then another question, based on all this. Should one want to make other people happy? Should one have this thought?

Answer: I think this is a very egoistic question. You start meddling in other people’s lives and there is no way out of it.

Question: So what is the conclusion from this?

Answer: Do not meddle with others.

Comment: Do not meddle with other people’s lives.

My Response: Do not meddle.

Question: And how should one live?

Answer: Just live. Live simply, and that is it. Why do you need to compare your life with other people’s lives and direct yourself toward other people’s achievements? “I will be happy if they are happy.”

Question: Yes, this formula is well-known. Do you think it is egoistic?

Answer: It is the most egoistic one.
[335576]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 9/23/24

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