This is a collection of quotes, created by Federico Balsa from conversations that took place in The Seeker’s Café…
| SEEKERS´ QUOTES INSTALLMENT # | 6 |
| TAKEN FROM MEETING HELD ON | DECEMBER 14, 2019 |
| EDITOR´S NOTE: THERE MAY BE A DEGREE OF PARAPHRASING IN THE QUOTES. QUOTEES ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO PUBLISH ANY CORRECTIONS THEY FEEL ARE NECESSARY |
| QUOTED FROM: STEFFAN SOULE |
| ON THE TOPIC: “What is CONVICTION?” |
| Conviction is an interesting part of the Tales, with Gurdjieff leading us to see through our fixed ideas. He does use that word very carefully. |
| QUOTED FROM: STEVE ARONSON |
| ON THE TOPIC: “What is CONVICTION?” |
| Problem is, however, that different parts of us can be convinced… our lower parts can be convinced… |
| QUOTED FROM: STEFFAN SOULE |
| ON THE TOPIC: “What is CONVICTION?” |
| Conviction can be a pathway to understanding |
| QUOTED FROM: STEVE ARONSON |
| ON THE TOPIC: “What is CONVICTION?” |
| There is this state of certainty that does not necessarily imply validity… but it is a consolidated state of surety |
| QUOTED FROM: STUART GOODNICK |
| ON THE TOPIC: “What is CONVICTION?” |
| There are studies that show that when people hold an opinion, or even a conviction, when they see data that is actually contrary to it, there is a tendency to cling to the idea even more strongly. It is suggested that this is not so much a bug, but a feature of the evolutionary process…that there is an advantage in holding on to learned information long enough to survive the repetition of problems from the past… We now see that when this feature is applied to ideas or opinions, people become disconnected from each other |
| QUOTED FROM: STEVE ARONSON |
| ON THE TOPIC: “The Second Force” |
| “We will lawfully encounter obstacles in our path as we move through life. More importantly, we may also unnecessarily create resistance through inappropriate initiation without sufficient understanding” “Presumptuousness, impatience, impulsive gestures, a ‘don’t just stand there do something’ attitude, or intellectualized decisions, without consideration of the complexity of systems and the reasons behind patterns, expose us, and others, to unintended and often messy consequences”. |
| QUOTED FROM: ROBIN BLOOR |
| ON THE TOPIC: “How to read Beelzebub´s Tales to his Grandson |
| “Gurdjieff puts a significant amount of effort into preparing the reader to read his book. It’s clear that he knows the reader will miss most of what he is trying to convey on the first few readings of the book, even though it is there on the page. The diligent reader will, however, return again and again to the text knowing that they never fully understood the words on previous readings. Eventually, the reader will realize that they will need to know more about themselves just to read the book”. |
| QUOTED FROM: STEVE ARONSON |
| ON THE TOPIC: “The Law of Hazard” |
| “Thus, it seems lawful that we cannot be certain how to best manifest from moment to moment, yet the demand remains. Life continues to come at us. We cannot, not respond. To stand still and quiet is still a response. The risk of loss is always the other side of the risk of gain” |
| QUOTED FROM: J.G. BENNET QUOTED BY STEVE ARONSON |
| ON THE TOPIC: “The Law of Hazard” |
| “All opening is a hazard. You arrive at a crossroads. If you can see which way, if it is clearly labeled, that the road on the left is the one that leads to your destination, then choosing that way is not an opportunity. If the way is not labeled at this crossroad – and in life, our ways are not labeled – then when we come to the crossroad, there is an uncertainty and a suspense and, with that, an opportunity. How to recognize it? This is really the art of living.” [Hazard, back jacket] |