Entries in the 'Egoism' Category

Preparation Of Egoism For Future Changes

294.2Question: Why has it taken humanity such a long time to get to equitable conditions and equality of all before the law? Also, although it is not spiritual equality, do you still see some progress in this?

Answer: Yes, I do see some progress. It has taken humanity such a long time to get to the current state because we work with egoism. At the lower stages of its development, egoism is really impenetrable. It has taken thousands of years to somehow prepare it for future changes.

We do not yet feel these changes, but soon they will begin to manifest themselves. We will see how at different stages of human development, at different historical stages, we were preparing ourselves for these changes. We can get through them.

The fact that everything has been distributed in such a way over time only indicates that nature understands who it is dealing with and knows how to do everything according to the law of its intrinsic development.

It is necessary to gradually bring egoism to an awareness of the need for ethical, moral, and eventually spiritual changes.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 9/11/20

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The One Inside Me

293Comment: There is pain in the world. As you keep saying, this pandemic is not the end of it. The UN has already accepted that we have lost this fight with more than a million dead and more than 30 million infected, and that we need to unite. But how? How can we unite? Suddenly Karabakh! Nation on nation! Such hatred is spilled out that did not exist before. What’s going on in Belarus?! What’s happening in America?!

My Response: The world, of course, has descended…

Question: What about Israel? The government can’t make basic decisions. It seems that we were not put in apartments, in rooms, the virus didn’t scare us.

Answer: Mutual pretensions are the strongest.

Question: This is staggering! What kind of nature is this?! How can we work with it?

Answer: This is the next state of egoism. The fact that I pay less and less attention to the consequences that are allegedly threatening. I am threatened, others are threatened, it doesn’t matter, I don’t feel it. What can I do?

Question: A person has no responsibility. Should there be a change of mind or a change of heart?

Answer: “What the mind doesn’t do, time does,” the Bible says.

We are trying to speed up this process of the revelation of evil. For what? For humanity to tell its ego: “That’s it! You don’t rule me anymore! I’m separating myself from you! This is you, and this is me.”

What can I do to realize that it is guiding me all the time? I get up in the morning and feel that it is guiding me: “Get up, go there, do that, sit down this way, that way…” It commands me all the time.

Question: Should I admit that I am its slave?

Answer: I don’t admit it. I begin to understand this and begin to rebel against it because I see that, in principle, it does not prepare anything good for me.

We need to rise above this so our earthly nature does not guide us. We can’t go on living this way anymore.

Question: We can talk about egoism and man, about the fact that egoism turns us, pushes us, spins us, and, in principle, pushes us into the abyss. Can an ordinary person reason like that or not?

Answer: If you explain all this to him all the time, he will eventually be able to see, on the one hand, the explanation, and on the other hand, the blows of fate.

Explanations must always be before his eyes. And he would not see them, read them, or anything. But the time comes, he gets blows, and then he suddenly sees. Or begins to search frantically: “What should I do?! How do I get rid of the problem?!” And then he begins to see, to listen.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/1/20

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Who Will Have To Pay The Bills?

259.01Question: There is speculation that future generations will pay for the coronavirus. In addition to debt, we leave them two huge problems: looking after us when our pensions are left without funding and solving the problems of climate change, which we did not solve and passed on to them. On top of that, we have limited investments in their health and education. In short, the next generation will feel bad. We have robbed our children and grandchildren.

But in principle, I still keep thinking about my children and grandchildren. Why does a person suddenly become disconnected from this? They will live in some kind of environmentally dirty, broken world, with a supply of nuclear weapons, whatever you want. We do not even think about what kind of future we have arranged for them.

Answer: Nobody thinks that he leaves it to his descendants. Why should I think about it? This is natural for a person!

Question: To not think about future generations?

Answer: No. This is his real face, Homo Sapiens. “Knowing man”!

Question: Is this what intelligence is about, to think only of yourself?

Answer: Of course. To snatch for yourself as much as possible. I live while I am alive. That is it, nothing else! “After us the deluge.”

We can do nothing with our nature; it is higher than us. Nothing! There is no natural desire in us to do something with ourselves for the sake of our descendants. We know that we are putting them right under nuclear bombs, climate problems, whatever.

Question: How does one start a dialogue with nature so that it gives us a feeling of both guilt and responsibility that we must do something for future generations?

Answer: This can only be done through the realization of the evil of our nature and the way to get out of it; is there still a way out? But humanity is not suffering enough to seek this way out.

Question: But what is the solution?

Answer: Only dissemination of Kabbalah, which talks about how to correct human nature, reveals all the ignominy, all the improbability of this nature, its horror! It reveals the emptiness in a person, so that he realizes that he needs to fill it.

Question: What is this emptiness revealed in?

Answer: In hopelessness.

Question: Is there no future? Does my nature allow me no future?

Answer: It will not allow you anything. A man is the most terrible creature.

Question: Then why did the Creator create us in this way?

Answer: In order for us to realize our evil and correct it, to ask Him for correction. And then we will become participants in our new, spiritual development.

Question: If He simply did it without our request, then we would receive everything simply for free and would not appreciate it? And here we do have to appreciate it?

Answer: We should achieve it. And then we will feel that we received the opportunity to work with this new sensation, with these new forces.

People should know this. People should understand that they are faced with a very serious task to correct their own nature. We can do this.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 9/7/20

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Connection Between The Development Of Desires And Motivation

557Question: There are several types of motivation: external and internal, positive and negative, stable (satisfying thirst, hunger, etc.) and unstable (quitting smoking, dieting). There are motivations that drive people’s actions (self- affirmation, respect, power, self-development).

What kind of processes occur in a person when he has motivation? What does he feel?

Answer: He has a clear direction: what he should come to, to what form, to what future, and how he imagines it. Motivation includes a clear vision of the future including solving the problem of how to achieve this future and realize it.

Question: Is it possible to trace the connection between the development of desires and motivation?

Answer: Naturally, because the development of desires is the development of motivations. If at first a person had a desire only to get food, then later, there is a need for procreation, building a family, and a home. And later, a desire emerged to rise above others, to fight for a more comfortable existence, and so on. In our history, we have been through all these facets, gradations, and degrees.

Question: Today internal motivation, i.e., self-realization, works more than external motivation. And external motivations, such as money and career, work less. What is the reason?

Answer: The fact is that as a result of our development, we are increasingly attracted to spiritual rather than material values. We are increasingly moving away from the animalistic state.
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From KabTV’s “Management Skills” 8/28/20

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“World-Reformers” Will Destroy The World

546.02Remark: When evil arises, and now there is a lot of evil in the world in all its colors, there suddenly appear those who want to correct it. They are called honorable people, they are given Nobel Prizes, etc. They come to correct this evil. They donate money for it and invest their strength in it.

The great Kabbalist Baal HaSulam, whose works we study, writes in the article “Peace in the World” about “The Weakness of ‘World Reformers'”: “This is the key to understand the weakness of world reformers throughout the generations. They regarded man as a machine that is not operating properly and needs mending, meaning to remove its broken parts and replace them with working ones.”

In principle, it sounds quite logical. That is, they want to operate the machine properly so that it runs smoothly according to their understanding.

“This is the tendency of all world reformers—to eradicate any harmful and bad in the human species… and it is true that had the Creator not stood against them, they would certainly have by now cleansed man entirely, leaving in him only what is good and useful.”

Answer: And that would bring the end of the world.

Remark: But it is written here that they would leave “only what is good and useful.” This would be good for the world.

My Comment: Well, of course! Try to suggest this and you will see that everyone will agree with you! Except the Creator.

Remark: And the Creator says, “No, I do not need the so-called good and beneficial. I do not need it to be the only thing that remains in the world.”

Further on, Baal HaSulam continues: “But because the Creator meticulously watches over all the elements in His creation, not letting anyone destroy a single thing in His domain, but only reform it and make it useful and good, all the reformers of the above-mentioned kind will vanish from the earth, and bad qualities will not vanish. They exist and count the degrees of development that they must still traverse until they complete their ripening.”

It is as if the Creator is saying, “I do not like these world-reformers. I do not like those who like to do good.” They want this evil to disappear, to replace the damaged parts in the car with good ones, and to make the car drive well. I do not want that.”

My Comment: That is correct. Who are Creator’s partners? Villains. They reveal evil in the world, as the Creator has said: “I have created the evil inclination…” That is, they are His accomplices who help Him and reveal evil.

They show us: “Look at what the Creator has created!” And the only thing missing here is the other side, where we need to take the forces of nature and build an opposite system that would compensate for this evil. Then through creating our own system of good that compensates for the evil, we will rise by both of these forces, on both levels.

Question: Does this mean that evil people are the closest to the Creator?

Answer: Yes. It is through them that the Creator creates the world.

Question: He creates the world and shows us that the world is created from evil. We see this, are horrified, and start fighting this evil.  Are you saying: “It is wrong to fight evil?”

Answer: We must learn to compensate for it correctly, to use it as the minus and the plus in electronics and other areas.

Question: So, the evil exists and I should not touch it. On the contrary, I must create a mountain of good. Here is a mountain of evil, and a mountain of good. Does this mountain of evil grow? And the mountain of good also grows? Is the main thing not to erase this second mountain?

Answer: You cannot erase them, you will only mangle all of nature.

Question: How do I build the mountain of good?

Answer: On the basis of evil.

Question: Seeing all of this evil, do I say: “This is not the right way, I should choose another way”?

Answer: Of course. Otherwise, you will be like those who destroyed sparrows, flies, and so on.

Question: So, do I build a mountain of good by looking at this mountain of evil?

Answer: According to it.

Question: Where do I get the strength to build this mountain of good?

Answer: Here you have to ask the Creator Himself.

Question: Is there no other way?

Answer: No. Then you will see why the Creator created evil. It is so that you would turn to Him and receive the force of good.

Remark: So, with material resources alone, with my abilities…

Answer: Will lead you nowhere. You will not accomplish anything. There is only evil in our world. Even the good that you see is also evil.

Question: And when they say: “This strong, charismatic, courageous, and determined leader will be able to lead us to good, to happiness,” and everyone starts voting for him, is it all a lie?

Answer: Sure. Today more and more people start to realize this.

Question: Is our task to build this good against evil, and all we need to do is ask for strength from nature, from the Creator?

Answer: To ask the Creator for the force of good to balance the evil and to ascend on these two forces as if on two legs.

Question: Will the world come to this?

Answer: Very soon! I believe that, perhaps, I will also get to see this. But we must lay the foundation.

Remark: This is definitely a turning point for a person.

Answer: We need to educate people! Basic concepts that we just need to lay out before them.

Question: We are talking about an ordinary person. Tell me, when one faces evil what should his first reaction be?

Answer: To balance the evil. If I want to destroy it, I have to balance it! In this way, I not only eradicate it as if reducing it to zero, but I employ it and use it for good.

As two forces in electricity: the minus and the plus. Any force that is revealed in this world consists of itself and of its opposite, its parallel. There is nothing else, only this. Therefore, regarding evil, we must find the expression of good and put them against each other, placing yourself in the middle. And you will see how to rise on these two streams of the fountain. That is how you will rise using both of them.

Question: So, are you saying that in order for one to rise in a good way, he has to be between good and evil?

Answer: They should push you from below like jets from a fountain.

Question: When I build good against the feeling of evil, is it called that I am in the middle? I see both good and evil.

Answer: Yes. We need to teach people how to use both forces correctly. For them, this is the revelation of the new world and endless possibilities.

Question: It means that we need to work on the first reaction of a person to destroy evil? So that the first reaction would be: “Oh!”

Answer: It depends on the support of society, on the environment.

Question: So, one way or another, a person should be searching, or he should be placed in the environment that thinks this way, right?

Answer: Yes. The environment will support him behind the scenes. And he will feel that he needs to perform certain actions. He will receive thoughts from the environment. The world is coming to this, there is no other way. This is how the world is arranged. The main thing is to move forward!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/10/20

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We Don’t Hear Each Other

565.02Question: Everyone needs to be able to listen. Parents should listen to their children. Children should listen to their teachers who give them assignments. A manager needs to listen to his subordinates, and so on.

Most people consider themselves very good listeners. I read research that shows only 10% of people have the ability to listen to others. What is the reason? Why do people think they can listen, but we see the opposite?

Answer: Because one plays along with his ego, wants everyone to see how friendly, attentive, and responsive he is. In fact, he wants to listen only to himself, see only himself, and justify only himself. Therefore, it is very difficult for us to communicate with each other well. We cannot hear each other.

Despite the fact that today there are all kinds of methods of video and audio connection, we should check just how connected we are to each other. We have not become any more sociable. We can sit and listen to various programs that supposedly connect us to each other, but we cannot hear or see anyone but ourselves.

Question: There is a basic rule of interpersonal relations that says that the meaning of a message cannot be clearly understood. On a physiological level, we are unable to grasp this message.

In the research I read about, it was established that our audio perception is only 25% effective. Even in informal conversations with friends only 60 to 70% of the information is absorbed.

What is the reason for this gap? There are things that egoism is receptive to.

Answer: It does not matter what the ego is receptive to or not. Since everyone is wrapped up in self-love and wants to feel only themselves, whatever reaches us is still interpreted incorrectly and therefore remains somewhere in the air.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 8/14/20

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The Most Precious Gem

562.03Confucius: “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

Man must polish himself. Moreover, polish to such an extent that sometimes he literally rips off layers, egoistic layers. If only one would be able to endure. This is very painful.

Question: Can a person do it at all?

Answer: There comes such opportunity, such contempt, when you feel that anger and aversion to egoism is greater than the pain, and you want to erase it from yourself.

Question: Is this how the precious gem is revealed?

Answer: Yes.

Question: If man were able to go through this state, what would he reveal then?

Answer: He reveals the Creator within him.

Question: When you say “To reveal the Creator within yourself,” what do you mean?

Answer: I find Him there. It turns out that He was within me. I thought that there was some kind of egoism in me, an animal. But in fact, it was the Creator!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/27/20

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Everything Is Bought And Sold

559Question: Should we understand that in this life we are bought and sold?

Answer: Not everyone, of course. Yet, the fact that this happens—yes.

Question: We are indignant, and nevertheless we are bought and sold. Why?

Answer: Because we are not aware that we are selling and buying, but we want to sell and buy everything in this world.

Question: What do we want to sell?

Answer: Everything that you can be a profitable deal.

The character Panikovsky, a petty criminal in Ilf and Petrov’s, The Little Golden Calf said, “I will buy and sell all of you, buy you, sell you, buy you, and sell you again, but for more.”

Question: So I sell it for a deal, for myself, to make a profit?

Answer: Yes. I buy what I can buy cheap and then sell at a profit. This is human. At every level! Every minute!

Question: What a low creature a human is! Do you see something at least a little elevated in humans?

Answer: In a person who lives in this world and by this egoistic world, there can be nothing else. Just to sell, buy, and sell for even more.

Question: Does one always want a bribe?

Answer: Only!

Question: How is it possible to rise from this state, in what way?

Answer: Through the recognition of evil, that although I exist within the framework of this nature, in the end, I act to my own detriment. To my own detriment! And, based on this, I already begin to think, “How can I do this differently?” Then I begin to understand that my evil and the evil of others are one and the same.

Question: Do I say that this makes me feel bad and start from there?

Answer: Yes, you should start from yourself.

Question: Will a person recognize now that he feels bad because of his “purchase”?

Answer: It is because he recognizes that he feels bad and begins to look for what to do that he will come to the conclusion that he must get rid of his egoism, of this “bad,” and perceive himself in a different way, in a different connection with others. If it is bad for others, then it is bad for me. There is no other way out.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/31/20

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My Thoughts On Twitter 10/26/20

Dr Michael Laitman Twitter

If a Klipa (egoistic desire) exists between us, that is where viruses can enter. But if there’s a space for holiness between us, a good connection to one another, then no harmful virus will be able to enter inside. That would be against nature’s law.

We must establish a connection between us around the entire globe. This will protect us, fill us with confidence and joy, and raise our immunity against the #Coronavirus and all other #diseases. No harmful agent will be able to get close to us, for everything depends solely on our connections.

We are born in this world, the worst of all the worlds. Let us rise to a better state! The Creator wants us to be in joy, so that, through unity, we would achieve absolute good, the upper world that is full of light and devoid of evil. The Creator draws closer when the group is brimming with joy and good connections.

We shouldn’t fear being distant or disconnected from the Creator. Even now we are in adhesion with Him, inside the Creator. So now, out of this state, let us build on the sensation of being close with the Creator, the desire to cling to Him with our hearts and minds, with all our thoughts. Nothing changes except for one’s conscious awareness.

We shouldn’t try to fight our desire—we’re never going to succeed in opposing it. We need only to ask the Creator, and everything will work out. We want the Creator to open within us the quality of bestowal, that is to reveal Himself. Then man will become like the Creator.

When the ego (desire) dies, I stop demanding for myself and become free. My eyes open, as well as sensations I hadn’t felt before, which were blocked, and I begin to sense the upper world. We need to rise above the ego through our unity, and ask the Creator to give us the force of bestowal to be in adhesion with Him.

We are eternal creatures! But we don’t feel it, as we’re locked in a tight cage that is this world. In all the universe, there is no place worse than the world we live in. Let us not be content with it. Let us awaken and look up! We must escape the authority of the ego—which aims to devour more and more—and reveal the true life.

When we find ourselves in the flow of the light of faith, it wraps us from all sides and transports us from state to state. We see other dimensions in the light of faith: not three dimensional coordinates, but an infinite number of dimensions. A round, integral world that has no end, above time and space.

There exists a spiritual reality above our world. We don’t feel it, don’t know it, don’t want to come to it. In our world, everything happens between egos-desires, with each pulling toward itself. In the upper, spiritual world, everything is the opposite: each tries to act for the benefit of the other. This is the antiworld.
From Twitter, 10/26/20

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Our Faithful Assistant

115.06Question: A study was conducted at Harvard for 80 years where scientists have tried to figure out the main factor for happiness in people’s lives. They concluded that relationships between people is most important.

On one hand, we really want to be happy, and we understand that the most important factor is relationships. We invest a lot of money in medicine, devote a lot of time to a healthy lifestyle even though we understand that the decisive factor even for human health is the relationship between people.

And still, no matter how much we invest, we cannot fully realize, even purely selfishly, that relationships between us are the most important thing. Why?

Answer: Because egoism is a helper against you. It does not just push you to do what is good for you. This is a very special assistant that leads you not to achieve the most comfortable animal state, but to achieve a higher state. Only in a special way.

Selfishness is built based on the fact that you abandon it and rise above it. It is constantly pushing for this, but in exactly the opposite way.

Therefore, in the material world there is no greater helper for our development than egoism although it constantly confronts us with ourselves. It constantly pushes us to struggle, to opposites, to contradictions, all in order to find out who we are, what we are, what we are for.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 7/30/20

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