Nick_A wrote: ↑June 22nd, 2021, 9:32 pm
“Give me beauty in the inward soul; may the outward and the inward man be at one.” Socrates
The outward man is our personality. It is indoctrinated to interact with the external world and is how we define ourselves.
The inner man is qualities and characteristics we are born with including our talents and tendencies.
It does happen that a 50 year old person can have a 5 year old essence within him. This is not unusual for a person dominated by the whims of our lower dark horse. The inner man is gradually starved out and Jesus referred to them when he said "let the dead bury their dead." A person can be active in the world yet dead inside.
Jacob Needleman wrote a book about this situation: "Money and the Meaning of Life"
https://www.gurdjieff.org/needleman4.htm
Since the beginning of recorded history, man has been haunted by the intimation that he lives in a world of mere appearances. In every teaching and spiritual philosophy of the past we find the idea that whatever happens to us, for good or ill, is brought about by deeper forces behind the world that seems so real to us. We are further told that this real world is not accessible to the senses or understandable by the ordinary mind.
But, and this is a point that is not usually understood, we live in a world of inner appearances as well. We are not what we perceive ourselves to be. There is another identity, our real self, hidden behind the self that we believe ourselves to be.
It is only through awakening to this deeper self within that we can penetrate behind the veil of appearances and make contact with a truer world outside of ourselves. It is because we live on the surface of ourselves that we live on the surface of the greater world, never participating—except in rare moments which do not last and which are not understood—in the wholeness of reality.
It is this all-important second aspect of the ancient wisdom, the aspect that speaks of our inner world, that modern thought has been blind to. And the question about the meaning of life is inextricably linked to the need for contact with the real self beneath the surface of our everyday thoughts, emotions, and sensations.
Without this contact, the external world of appearances assumes for us the proportions of an overwhelmingly compelling force. We cannot see the real world because we are not in contact with the deeper powers of thought and sensing within ourselves that could perceive it. Because of this, it is inevitable that we experience the external world as the strongest force in our lives. This is the meaning and the origin of materialism.
The error, or, to use Christian language, the “sin” of materialism has at its root nothing to do with greed or possessiveness. Nor does it involve, at its root, some philosophical view about matter and spirit in their usual meanings. No, the error of materialism is an error of reality perception, based on lack of experiential contact with the inner world. What we know as greed and possessiveness, with their attendant traits of cruelty and human exploitation, are results of this ignorance of the inner world. We turn to the superficially perceived outer world for that which can only be obtained through deep access to the inner self. Materialism is not a “sin”; it is a mistake..............................
We know how the world nourishes and creates our personalities. But how do we nourish the inner man and allow it to develop so a 50 year old personality could reflect a 50 year old harmonized soul?
This is the essential problem for humanity as I understand it for a world that doesn't recognize the inner man and only seeks to indoctrinate personalities into what Plato called the Great Beast.
Nick, nice post. I think I get it. I also like it.
I read what you wrote a couple of times and scanned enough of the link to catch on to the theme.
There is critical information that is either missing or not included by either lack of perception or disagreement by Jacob imo.
What is missing is a working knowledge of the Red Queen theory, or perhaps he addresses it in later chapters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Q ... man_Nature
This is simply the root of all our topics, mixed in with survival is sex and evolution together with the need to be great. Being great at some level cycles back around the first drive of making babies.
It is easy to call out money as an issue and materialism. Materialism and money are similar they both are a form of power, showing or holding power is in line with the need to be great. Greatness comes from others, validation from others. “Wow that guy is rich”, “Wow let's get a date with the rich guy”. Ultimately power is being displayed for the number one driver. Of course, exceptions exist. I equate status and the need to be great. The need to be great should be a noble one, but I don't see that often except in fiction. For example superman, the very perfect example.
In humans, the sexual selection process involves the male showing the power of some sort, might be money, good looks, status, and a few others. Nothing compares emotionally for a healthy male to being constantly selected by almost all females.
Men that need external validation will chase money in addition to other materialistic things to achieve greatness, think peacock. It works very well, as looking for these things is built into female no matter how educated or trained, lizard-brain stuff.
How we get to harmony, is we accept what we are and nourish that. Then from the peace and stability of that position we expand and help others to do that same
Harmony of the soul is when the mind is satisfied and not hungry or thirsty for validation.
Think about a child and how they will call mom or dad to come see what they have done (validation). Most professional advertising knows how it works, just buy such and such car or clothes or house and good looking opposite sex members will be impressed and you will receive much validation. Perhaps the best example is the multi billion dollar cosmetics industry. Products that add no other value except an attempt to call attention to self, for validation.