Lesson 4 (The Two Worlds)
As we continue our work studying the Teachings, we will take up two worlds. Man exists in an environment which is the "man-made" world. We are not talking about the earth. The world is a society. It is a state of organization - the earth is a planet. So there are two Worlds--the "man-made" world and the "real world."
Real Living Beings
The real world is the world of "real living beings." No two of us have the same finger prints. No two of us have exactly the same tastes. No two of us see anything from exactly the same viewpoint because We cannot stand in the same tracks. So the real world is the world of living beings, no two of which are alike, no two of which are in the same environment at the same time.
You and I may be in a small room but you are in my environment,and I am in yours. That makes it very different for each of us, and so there can be no "standards" set. Each is an entity unto itself.
Each of us must know "self" for self. We cannot have someone else tell us what we are like. If they did, we wouldn't believe them. This is why we are observing the conditioned self within. While there are some general patterns, each of us must do the work for self, and we must understand the two worlds for self.
So we will observe all the people we know and their different tastes. One like coffee, another does not. One person wants sugar in his coffee, another wants it without. One wants coffee with cream,another wants it without. Some like their steaks cooked well done, some like them medium, some medium rare. There is no way you should like coffee. There is nothing that says you should like your steak cooked any certain way. It is what appeals to your taste,or maybe you don't like steak at all. Some people like certain colors, others do not. And this goes on for every conceivable thing. We are each a separate entity and there is no "standard" for anyone of us.
MAN-MADE WORLD
The "man-made" world is the world of ideals, ideas, standards, machines and games. We can have the "ideal" of how wide the streets should be. We can have the "ideal" of how fast the traffic should move. We can have the "ideal" of how many parking places there are for a given building. All of these are very useful and necessary for organized society on earth. The "man-made" world is very wonderful as long as it is confined to the "man-made" world--it is somewhat of a parable of the real world. So there are many kinds of ideas. Anyone can teach an idea and ask for an examination to see how well you agree with it. If you replay it, you are an excellent student. If you cannot replay it very well, you are a poor student.
You may be a success or a failure according to how well you did that.
In the "real world" there are ideas that give man an aid in knowing self, but there are not any "ideals" for you to live up to. As you have noticed, we have given ideas for study, but no ideas or "ideals" to live up to. We are only trying to find out what makes up the self. We haven't said you should "do this" or told you "what to do." These are ideas for study. The other "ideals" and ideas are for accomplishment in the "man-made" world.
STANDARDS
Then there are "standards." It is wonderful to have standards for spark-plugs, standards for sizes of shoes, dresses, suit sizes, etc. If a man wears a 42-Long, he can order a 42-Long coat, and all that will have to be altered is the length of the sleeves a little bit. If he wears a size 12-B shoe, he can order 12-B shoes and in all probability they will fit very accurately because there are standards set for these. There are standards for sizes of nuts and bolts? There are standards for drill sizes to drill a hole to put the bolt in. There are weights and measures. So all of these are of excellent use in the "man-made" world and are necessary for trade, commerce and exchange between one person and another.
But there are no standards set for the human being. In Washington D.C., and in every other major capital of the world, there is a bureau of standards. If you go there, you will find that all the standards are for "things," but there is no human being who has a standard set for him.
So machines are very useful. They perform great functions and take much of the physical burden from man. But when man begins to be a machine, it is a perversion because man was designed to operate machines--not be one.
A man can be controlled by a suggestion. You can find out from observing him that he has a certain very set opinion or viewpoint. If you challenge that opinion or viewpoint, you will find that he is suddenly in a state of being mechanical, and you can control or manipulate him.If you can get him very interested in "security," you can threaten him with lack of security and put him in a panic state.
If someone "sticks up for your rights" might you think he is your friend. If someone tells you "how different you are" from the common herd, aren't you inclined to be controlled. If someone "blames" for you, aren't you inclined to agree and be influenced by that person. It is obvious that machines are very useful but changing a man into machine may be a perversion.
We have been observing the "mechanical behavior" or the "conditioned self" and its "mechanical responses" which we could call "reaction." We are beginning to observe that while man is of the "real world"--a real living being, no two of which are alike--that there are many efforts to have him respond exactly according to conditioning.
GAMES
The other aspect of the man-made world is the world of games. Games are very essential. Not everything that we will refer to as a game is ordinarily referred to as a game in the "man-made" world. We recognize basketball, baseball, etc. as being games. Now for a game there must be players, there must be rules of the game, there must be an official of some sort, and there is a reward of winning the game according to the rules. If you do not play the game according to the rules in the "man-made" world, there are penalties to be paid.
So business is a game. It has players; it has rules of the game, there are officials of many kinds, there are severe penalties for not playing the game according to the rules, and there are decided advantages for playing the game according to the rules.
Marriage is a game. It requires players, it has rules, many of which are set by society, some of which are set as dealer's choice as one goes along like playing dealer's choice poker. There are officials. There are severe penalties for not playing the game according to the rules and possibly many rewards for playing the game according to the rules.
Traffic is a game. It has players, and thank goodness there are rules. There are officials; and there are penalties for not playing the game according to the rules. As the reward of playing the game according to the rules, we have a reasonable degree of safety in the immense traffic on the streets, highways and freeways.
There are four great games we seldom think of as being games, and they apply to man in the "real world." Let's consider these games and observe them over a period of time.
THEOLOGY
The first great game is "THEOLOGY." Theology sets up a standard for man as "good" and man as "bad."
There is no standard theology for the world. There are many different ones. Theology is not religion but man's ideas of building an organization around religion or building an institution. The institution sets standards of "good," such as:
It is not good to eat meat on Friday.
It is not good to eat pork at any time.
It is not good to drink coffee, in another one it's quite all right.
In one it is good and acceptable to get a divorce. In another, it is not good to get a divorce.
Thousands and thousands of infinite details are set up as "good." Any particular person who subscribes to any particular theology finds that he has difficulty maintaining the outward requirements of the theology and even more difficulty, if they are reasonably honest with observing self, of keeping the "inner state" free of not being angry, of not being gossipy, of not stretching the truth a wee bit when it puts one in a good light (which sometimes could be called lying), and it requires a considerable amount of justification in order to make one's behavior jibe with the idea of "good." Most everyone, then, feels in some way that they are "bad" and so they feel "guilty."
POWER POLICIES
The next great game is "POWER POLICIES". Power policies tell us what is "IN" and what is "OUT."
A few years ago it was "in" to hate the Japanese and love the Russians, among other things. Today it is very "in" to love the Japanese (most of everything we have comes from Japan, including the tape recorder we are recording these talks on) and we are not to approve too much of the Russians. A few years ago we were to "hate" the Italians and the Germans, today we "love" them. A little while ago it was very "in" to dislike China (before that, it was very "in" to like China. Now it is thawing--it is getting "in" to feel they are pretty well "all right," at least for some purposes. So we have what is "in" and what is "out," and few people can agree with all the "in," so most everyone feels that in some ways they are out. So they are now "bad" and "out,' and in many respects they are "out" of step with the general run of everything.
HEALING ARTS
Then comes the "HEALING ART" as a great game. The healing arts set up a standard for what is "normal" and "abnormal."
The speaker at one time studied some of the healing arts. At the opening day of enrollment for entering the freshman class, the dean of the school gave a talk in which he said that in the first two years this class would study the "normal" so that when in the third, fourth and fifth years and in clinics they would recognize the "abnormal." At that moment it sounded reasonable, logical and very sound. However, studying the normal consisted of studying mannequins, charts, books and listening to many lectures as to what "normal" was. So an "ideal" was established. That was a great number of years ago and until this day neither I, nor anyone I have ever seen, fits the "normal" all the way.
So everybody, then, is a patient--everybody is "abnormal." Of course, we are generally conditioned to feel that when we do not fit the "norm" we are in a very bad situation and that we need decided treatment to restore towards the "normal." There is usually a considerable bit of disappointment over not being "normal" and feeling unfortunate or hurt that one is not "normal." Then one looks for blame and comes up with fear which brings about chemical imbalance and neuromuscular tension from the various hormones in response to the fear. There is an adaptation and then we are firmly convinced that we are "abnormal."
BIG BUSINESS
Gradually there has emerged another great game, "BIG BUSINESS." Big business, through advertising, constantly suggests that we are "ugly" or "pretty."
Now, using the word "ugly," you may smell "ugly" so you will need endless amounts of deodorants. Your hair is probably "ugly," so you will need the proper shampoos, hair sprays, coloring and even a wig to cover it up, so you will then be "pretty." We are constantly bombarded with suggestions that our cars are "old" and, therefore, ugly, that our homes are "old" and "ugly," that our furniture is "ugly," that our appliances are "old" and "ugly" and that we should all be buying new ones. So everyone begins to feel that they are "ugly" in some way. You probably weigh too much. You are too fat so you are "ugly" and you should fit the "ideal" of a skinny one, or whatever. You must be the "pretty" one or you will feel embarrassed. You will be looked down on and disapproved of, ignored and rejected as unsuccessful. You will be inferior so, of course, we spend great sums of money, obligate ourselves with great amounts of debts in order to be "pretty" and "normal." We struggle mentally with being "good" and probably a little belligerent with being "in."
So we have the "four dual basic urges," that first basic decision [discussed in earlier tapes of this series] which describes the purpose as seeking non-disturbance. This beginning then becomes the source of suggestion for manipulation of man as a machine.
He wants to have pleasure and comfort, he wants to have attention and approval, and to feel important. BIG BUSINESS, THEOLOGY, the HEALING ARTS and POWER POLICIES all tell him that he is in terrific danger unless he extends himself to a great degree in order to try to gain what they tell him he is not at the moment--you are "bad," "ugly," and you are not "in" and you are "abnormal."
Now, if we go back and look again at the "real world," there are no two alike nor no two are in the same environment at the same time; therefore, there can be no "standard." When we begin to see this and observe it, we recognize that the "normal," "good," "in" and "pretty" are rather false, and that we have been "conditioned" with them since childhood.
So being conditioned, we are subject to "suggestion" that we are "bad," "abnormal,""ugly" and "out," and that by spending sums of money and performing certain rites or rituals, or that advocating and agreeing with certain political ideas, that we shall have a utopia where we are all "pretty," "good," "in" and "normal." Of course, to do this we are only required to give up that which is really human -- total independence.
The dependent person is mechanical and can be manipulated, and we see this happening all around. So we are studying the human being, "I," so that we will be aware of these situations, not that we condemn them or that we justify them. They simply do exist and possibly some of us do not prefer to be a machine.
We are aware of what belongs in the "real world" and what belongs in the "man-made world." We are not opposed to either one. We recognize the "man-made world" as being very necessary and we exist in it.
We also recognize that we are not of the "man-made world," that we are of the "real living world"; the world of real living beings.
We begin to observe the "man-made" world, without condemning it or justifying it. We see what belongs "in it" and that we are not "of the man-made world." We recognize games, and we would like to play many games. We play the game according to the rules to the best of our ability, but we do not play the great games that says that man has an "ideal" or "standard" and that he should "fit it."
You see, this is the beginning of the world that everyone is born into; a world of "ideals," a world of "self-improvement" to fit those "ideals" from many different directions, a world that has "signs and demonstrations" that one has "improved" and the world of "blaming" wherein if one does not find the "sign and the wonder," one looks for "blame." One has the anticipation that if one practices"self-improvement" that there will be "self-improvement." But frequently that anticipation or expectation is disappointment because there is no way that any human being can "fit" an "ideal" because we are ever-changing in an ever-changing environment, and situation.
One may be sitting in a living room very serene and peaceful. The phone or doorbell rings and there is a very unusual piece of news that one has been injured or is in great difficulty. Suddenly one's heart is beating wildly, etc. Is that normal? It is what is happening! There isn't anyone that says you should immediately have something that would slow the heartbeat down to 72 times per minute. If you go out and mow the lawn with a push mower, pull weeds, or do some violent physical exercise and your heart pounds hard, is there something wrong? It a normal adaptation? You see, everything is a "normal adaptation."
There is no such thing as an "abnormal human being;" there is such a thing as an "adapting human being." There is no such thing as a "bad human being;" there are "mechanically conditioned" people who can be stimulated to do almost anything by pushing a button either from within or without. There is no bad human being, only "unconscious ones" or "semiconscious ones," or shall we say, "conditionedness." There is no such thing as a "pretty" individual or an "ugly" individual, there is only the person who expresses outwardly they're inner state of being. There is no such thing as an "abnormal person," there is only the "adaptation" going on. There is no such thing as 'ugly," there is only the outward expression of the inner state. There is no such thing as "in" or "out", we each see from a different standpoint and obviously we will see it a little bit differently, and part of the understanding of man is to understand that.
As we do that, we will find that there are less disappointments because we did not expect them all to be like peas in a pod; and even the peas in the pod are different. We did not expect them to be turned out like spark plugs, etc.
HOMEWORK
Write down how many times I am caught by the suggestion that I am "abnormal,""ugly," that I am "out of step," and that I am "bad." How many times am I caught by the suggestion either from within or from without; whether I thought of it from an old suggestion or whether from a fresh suggestion coming in, that I got a sense of being something in the "man-made world" that had a "standard" of "normal,""pretty," "good" and "in," and that in some way or other I didn't fit the "standard."In other words, we are going to observe a different level of "mechanical being" this week.
We will not stop doing those things we have been checking up on because we are being acquainted with man and the world in which he lives; not with the idea of "improving" him to fit some "ideal" but of being conscious and being aware moment by moment of "what is" and we are being more observant of the fallacies of "what ought to be," which is the "ideal." Man's great conflict is trying to change "what is" into some idea of "what ought to be" in the "real world."
In the "man-made world" we can change cars, houses, etc. We can make them fit our purposes, but when we start trying to make man into what he "ought to be," we are fiddling in the wrong area.
So let's be aware of it when we are caught in the trap this week--not with condemning, not trying to justify it, but simply being aware of the state of "what is."
*See chart for the "two worlds" under Illustrations.
Exercises:
Write down how many times I was caught by the suggestion from within or without:
That I am "abnormal" (doesn't fit normal in the healing arts.)
That I am "ugly" (doesn't fit the ideal of big business.)
That I am "out of step" (doesn't fit political ideologies.)
That I am "bad" (doesn't fit with religious organization ideologies either from years ago or now.)
These standards are "suggestions" which set up "ideals" and thereby result in struggle, conflict and resistance which is called "contrived resistance."
BELOW IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF LESSON 4:
THE TWO WORLDS
As we continue our work of studying The Science of Man, we will take up the two worlds. Man exists in an environment, which is the Man-Made World. We are considering the society of the Man-Made World, not talking about the Earth now. The world is a society. So it is a state of organization where the Earth is a planet. So there is two Worlds – the "Man-Made World” and the "Real World."
Now we will draw this on a sheet of paper and put the Real World at the top and the Man-Made World at the bottom half of the page. Now, the Real World is the world of real living beings, no two of which are alike. No two of us even have the same fingerprints. No two of us have exactly the same tastes. No two of us see anything from exactly the same viewpoint as another because we can’t stand in the same tracks. So there is the Real World is the world of real, living beings, no two of which are alike, nor no two of which are in the same environment at the same time.
You and I may be in a small room. But you are in my environment and I am in yours and that makes it very, very different for each of us. So where there is something that has no two alike and no two in the same environment, there can be no "standards" set. Each is an entity unto itself.
Each of us must know "self" for self. We cannot have someone else tell us what we are like. If they did, we wouldn't believe them. This is why we are observing the conditioned self within. While there is some general patterns, each of us must do the work for self, and we must understand the two worlds for self.
So we will observe all the people we know; we’ll observe their different tastes. One likes coffee, another does not like coffee. One likes sugar in their coffee, another one wants it without sugar. Another wants it with cream, another wants it without cream; some want it with cream and sugar. Some can’t stand it. Some likes their steaks cooked well done, some likes ‘em medium, some likes ‘em medium rare. There is no way you should like coffee or that you should like coffee at all. There is nothing that says you should like your steak cooked any certain way – it is what appeals to your taste (and maybe you don't even like steak at all.) And this goes on for every conceivable thing. Some people like certain colors; others do not like colors. We are each a separate entity and there is no "standard" for any one of us.
There certainly is then in the Man-Made World is the world of ideals, of ideas, of standards, of machines and of games. Now we can have the ideal for how wide the streets should be. We can have the ideal for how fast the traffic moves on the street. We can have the ideal of how many parkin’ places there are for a given building. Now, all of these are very useful and necessary for organized society on Earth. And the Man-Made World is very wonderful as long as it’s confined to the Man-Made World – and it is somewhat of a parable of the Real World. So there is ideas, many kinds of ideas. And anyone can teach an idea and ask for an examination and see how well you agreed with it. If you could replay it, you’re an excellent student. If you did not replay it very well, you’re a poor student. You may be a success or a failure accordin’ to how well you did this.
In the Real World there are ideas that gives man an aid in knowing self, but there are not any ideals for you to live up to. As you have noticed, we have given ideas for study, but no ideas nor ideals to live up to. We are only trying to find out what makes up the self. And we haven't said it should do this to it or what to do to it; these are ideas for study. The other are ideas for accomplishment in the Man-Made World.
STANDARDS
And then there is "standards." And it’s wonderful to have standards for sparkplugs, and standards for sizes of shoes, and standards for dresses, standards for suit sizes. A man who wears a 42-Long can order him a 42-Long coat, and all he’ll probably have to alter is the length of the sleeves a little bit. If he wears a size 12-B shoe, he can order a 12-B shoe and in all probability will fit very accurately because there are standards set for these. There’s standards for sizes of nuts and bolts, standards for sizes of ridges to use those nuts and bolts. There is standards for drill sizes to drill a hole to put the bolt in. So all of these and all the weights and measures that we have are all excellent uses in the Man-Made World and are necessary for trade and commerce and exchange between one person and another.
But there is no standard for the human being. In Washington D.C. there is a Bureau of Standards (and I’m sure in every other major capital of the world.) But if you go through there, you will find that all the standards are for "things”; there is no human being that has a standard set for him.
Now, machines are very useful. They perform great functions and take much of the physical burden off of man. But when man begins to be a machine, it is a perversion because man is designed to operate machines – not be one.
But when a man can be controlled by a suggestion, when he can find out from observing him that he has a certain very set opinion or viewpoint… and you challenge that viewpoint or that opinion, you will find that he is suddenly in a state – he is mechanical and you could control him or manipulate him. If you can get him very interested in "security," then you can threaten him with lack of security and put him in a panic state. You can "stick up for his rights" and he thinks you’re his friend, whether he has a right one in the world… he doesn’t think about anybody and his privileges. You can tell him "how different he is from the common herd” and you can control him. You can “blame” for him and you can control him. So it is obvious that machines are very useful; but to change a man into a machine may be a perversion.
And we have been observing the mechanical behavior of the conditioned self and its mechanical responses, which we could call "reaction." And we are beginnin’ to observe that while man is of the Real World – a real living being, no two of which are alike – that there is many efforts to have him to respond exactly according to conditioning.
THE FOUR GREAT GAMES
Now, the other aspect of the Man-Made World is the world of “Games.” Now, games are very essential. And not everything that we will refer to as a game is ordinarily referred to as a game in the Man-Made World. Basketball we recognize as being a game – football, baseball, etcetera. Now, for a game there must be [ 1 [ players, and there must be [ 2 ] rules of the game, and then there must be [ 3 ] an official of some sort, and then there’s [ 4 ] a reward of winning the game, or playin’ the game accordin’ to the rules. And if you don’t play the game accordin’ to the rules in the Man-Made World, there is [ 5 ] penalties to be paid, and usually rewards for playing the game accordin’ to the rules.
So business is a game: it has players, it has rules of the game, there is officials of many kinds, and there is severe penalties for not playing the game according to the rules. And there are decided advantages for playing the game according to the rules.
Marriage is a game. It requires players, it has rules, many of which are set by society (and some of which are set as dealer's choice as one goes along – like playin’ dealer's choice poker.) And there is officials and there is severe penalties for not playing the game accordin’ to the rules, and possibly many rewards for playing the game accordin’ to the rules.
And this could go on… traffic is a game. It has players and thank goodness there are rules. And thank goodness there are officials. And there is penalties for not playin’ the game according to the rules and we have the reward of playin’ the game according to the rules – there’s a reasonable degree of safety in the immense traffic on the streets and highways and freeways.
There’s Four Great Games, which we seldom think of as being games, and they apply to man in the Real World. So let's consider these games and we will observe them over a period of time.
The first Great Game is “Theology.” It sets up a standard for man as "good" and it, according to the theology, is what is set up as “good.”
There isn’t any standard theology for the world. There is many different ones. Theology is not religion but man's ideas about buildin’ an organization around religion, building an institution. They set up standards of "good.” And one, it’s not good to eat meat on Friday. Another one, it’s not good to eat pork at any time. Another one, it’s not good to drink coffee, and another one it's quite all right. And in one it’s very good and acceptable to get a divorce; another, it is not good to get a divorce. And thousands and thousands of infinite details are set up as "good."
Any particular person who subscribes to any particular theology finds that they have difficulty maintaining even the outward requirements of the theology; and even more difficulty (if they are reasonably honest with observing self) of keeping the inner state of not being angry, of not being gossipy, of not stretchin’ the truth a wee bit when it puts one in a good light (which sometimes could be called lying.) And it requires a considerable amount of justification in order to make one's behavior jibe with the idea of "good." So most everyone feels that in some way they are "bad" – so they feel guilty.
The next Great Game is “Power Policies.” Power Policies tells us what is "in.”
A few years ago it was "in" to hate the Japanese and love the Russians, among other things. Today it is very "in" to love the Japanese (most of everything we have comes from Japan, including the tape recorder we are recording these talks on) and we are to not approve too well of the Russians. A few years ago we were to hate the Italians and the Germans; today we love them. What’s “in.” A little while ago it was very "in" to dislike China (before that, it was very "in" to like China.) Now it’s thawing – it’s getting "in" to feel they’re pretty well all right, at least for some purposes. So we have what’s "in" and what’s "out," and few people can agree with all the "in," so most everyone feels that in some way they’re “out.” So they are now "bad" and "out” in many respects – they’re out of step with the general run of everything.
Then comes the "Healing Art” as a Great Game. The Healing Arts set up a standard for "normal.”
Now, the speaker at one time studied some of the healing arts. And on one occasion that is recalled, at an opening day of the enrollment for entering to study of the freshman class, the dean of the school made a talk in which he said that for the first two years this class would study the "normal" so that when they were in the third and fourth and fifth years and in clinics they would recognize the "abnormal." Now, at that moment that sounded very reasonable, very logical, and very sound. However, studying the “normal” consisted in studying mannequins, charts, books, and listening to many lectures of what the "normal" was. So an ideal was established. That was a great number of years ago and until this day neither I, nor anyone I have ever seen, fits the "normal" all the way.
So everybody is a patient, then – everybody is "abnormal." And of course, we are generally conditioned to feel that when we don’t fit the "norm" that we are in a very bad situation and that we need decided treatment to restore towards the "normal." And there is usually a considerable bit of disappointment over not being "normal", a feeling of being unfortunate or hurt that one is not "normal." And one looks for the blame and one comes up with fear, which brings about chemical imbalance and neuromuscular tension from the various hormones in response to the fear. And then that requires an adaptation and then we are firmly convinced we are "abnormal."
And then gradually has emerged another Great Game of “Big Business.” Big business, by advertising, constantly suggests that we are "ugly.”
Now, we’re using that word "ugly" – you may smell "ugly" so you will need ultimate, endless amounts of deodorants. Your hair is probably "ugly," so you will need the proper shampoos, and the proper hair sprays, and the proper coloring and even a wig to cover it up, so you will then be "pretty." We are constantly bombarded with suggestions that our cars are old and, therefore, “ugly”, and our homes are old and “ugly," our furniture is "ugly," our appliances are now old and “ugly" and that we should all be buying new ones. So everyone begins to feel that they are "ugly" in some way. You probably weigh too much. You’re too fat so you are "ugly" and you should fit the "ideal" of a skinny one, or whatever. The clothes are now out of date and they are, therefore, “ugly” and we must buy the "pretty" ones or we will be embarrassed and feel badly. And we will be looked down on and disapproved of and ignored or rejected as unsuccessful people and we will be inferior. So, of course, we spend great sums of money, obligate ourselves with tremendous amounts of debt in order to be "pretty", "normal”, and we struggle mentally with being "good" and probably a little belligerently with being "in."
So we have the "Four Dual Basic Urges," that first basic decision as to the purpose of living as the source of suggestion for manipulation of man as a machine. He wants to have pleasure and comfort, he wants to have attention, he wants to have approval, he wants to feel important. And BIG BUSINESS, THEOLOGY, the HEALING ARTS and POWER POLICIES all tells him he is in terrific danger unless he extends himself to a great degree in order to try to gain what they tell him he is not at the moment – “You are "bad," you are "ugly," you are not "in," and you are "abnormal."
Now, if we go back and look again at the Real World, there is no two alike nor no two are in the same environment at the same time; therefore, there can be no standard. When we begin to see this and observe, we recognize that the "normal," and that the "good," and that the "in" and that the "pretty" are rather false, but we have been conditioned with them.
So being conditioned, we are subject to suggestion that we are "bad, ugly, abnormal, and out," and that by spendin’ sums of money or performing certain rites or rituals, or that by advocating and agreeing with certain political ideas, that we shall have a utopia where we are all "pretty and good and in and normal." And of course, to do this we are only required to give up that which is really human – total independence, being independent.
The dependent person of course is mechanical and can be manipulated, and we are seeing this is happening all around. So we are studying the human being – "I" – so that we will be aware of these situations, not that we condemn them or we don’t justify them. They simply do exist and possibly some of us don’t prefer to be a machine.
So being aware of the two worlds, we are aware of what belongs in the Real World and we are aware of what belongs in the Man-Made World. We are not opposed to either one. We recognize the Man-Made World as being very necessary and we exist in it. But we also recognize we are not of the Man-Made World, that we are of the Real Living World – the world of real living beings.
And as we begin to observe from the standpoint of looking down to observe the Man-Made World, without condemning it or without justifying it, but we see what belongs in it and we don’t be of the Man-Made World. We’re observing it – not identifying with it. We recognize games and we would like to play many games. And when we play a game, we play the game accordin’ to the rules to the best of our ability. But we don’t play the game of the Great Games that says that man has an "ideal standard" and that he should fit to it.
You see, this is the beginning of the world that everyone is born into: a world of ideals, a world then of self-improvement to fit those ideals from many different directions; and a world that has signs and demonstrations that one has "improved"; and then the world of blaming wherein when one doesn’t find the "sign and wonder," one looks for the blame. One has anticipation that if one practices "self-improvement" that there will be self-improvement. But frequently that anticipation or expectation is disappointed because there is no way that any human being can fit an ideal because we are ever changing, ‘cause we’re in an ever-changing environment and an ever-changing situation.
One may be sitting in their living room very serene and peaceful and joyful. The phone rings or the doorbell rings and there is a very unusual piece of news. Some loved one has been injured or is in great difficulty. Suddenly one's heart is beating wildly, etcetera. Is that normal? It is what is happening. And there isn't anyone that says you should immediately have something that would slow the heartbeat down to 72 times a minute. If you go out and mow the lawn with a push mower, or you pull weeds, or you do some violent physical exercise and your heart pounds harder – is that something wrong or is It a normal adaptation? You see, everything is a normal adaptation.
There is no such thing as an “abnormal” human being; there is such a thing as an "adapting” human being. There is no such thing as a "bad” human being; there are mechanical, conditioned people who can be stimulated by pushin’ a button to do almost anything – either that button from within or without. But there is no “bad” human being; there is only "unconscious” ones or "semiconscious” ones, or shall we say, "conditioned” ones. There is no such thing as a "pretty" individual or an "ugly" individual; there is only a person who expresses outwardly their inner state of being and they’re all perfect for their particular state of being. And there is no such thing as a "abnormal” person – there is only the "adaptation" person goin’ on. No such thing as “ugly” – there is the outward expression of the inner state. And there’s no such thing as "in" or "out;” we each see from a different standpoint and obviously we will see it a little bit different. And part of the understanding of man is to understand that. As we do that, we find there is less disappointments in the world because we did not expect them to all to be like peas in a pod (and even the peas in a pod are different.) We did not expect them to be turned out like spark plugs, and etcetera.
So, let’s write us out a little sheet out this week. And we’re gonna do one, little thing: is we’re going to find how many times “I” am caught by the suggestion that “I” am abnormal, that “I” am ugly, that “I” am out of step, and that “I” am bad. How many times are we caught with this suggestion either from within or from without? It doesn’t make any difference; we’re going to write down whether “I” thought of it from an old suggestion or whether from a fresh suggestion comin’ in that “I” got a sense of being something in the Man-Made World that had a standard of "normal, pretty, good and in”… and that some way or other “I” didn't fit the standard. In other words, we are going to observe a different level of mechanical being this week.
And we will not stop doing those things we have been checking up on because we are being acquainted with man and the world in which he lives – not with the idea of improving him to fit some ideal, but of being conscious, being aware moment-by-moment of "what is.” And we’re being more observant of the fallacies of "what ought to be," which is the ideal. Man's great conflict is trying to change "what is" into some idea of "what ought to be" in the Real World. In the "man-made world" we can change cars, we can change houses; we can make them more fit our purposes and everything. But when we start trying to make man into what he "ought to be," we are fiddlin’ in a wrong area.
So let's be aware of it when we are caught in that trap this week – not with condemning, or not with trying to justify it, but simply being aware of the state of "what is."