07.+What+is+Intelligence+(February+2006) - Get a Free Blog

What is Intelligence? 111
But the real psychology with which we should be concerned, is the study
of the egotistical nature of children, and adult men and women, and their
motivations which clearly expose their behaviour.
This real psychology is simple yet subtle.
The practice of it depends as we have said, upon one’s ability to resist the
hypnotism and lies coming to us from the media, and from the next
human being we meet, or see on a public platform.
The real psychology we all need to know as humans as Krishnamurti
explains starts with the following principle.
We are all fundamental selfish, fundamentally interested in looking after
number one.
If we have to choose if it is we who gets the prize, rather than the next
person, we always choose ourselves.
Even the so called “saint” is perhaps not necessarily free of this selfishtendency,
because the saint has simply made the decision that the things
that the average person wants are not worth having, so for him or her to
reject what others hunger for so desperately, is not a true sacrifice, as he
or she is seeking a reward on a higher plane, e.g. “heaven”,
“enlightenment” or whatever we like to call it.
We are all seeking happiness, and the only issue is whether we choose a
dumb way or a smart way of getting it.
So the saint or “holy man” would say, those who seek golden trinkets and
treasure chests, fine clothes and palaces, seek what can be taken away,
what will turn to dust, what “does not endure.”
Whereas the materialist would reply, “you can keep your mythical and
likely delusory heaven in the sky – I will settle for the here and now
thank you, and trough as much of it – the wine, women, song and luxury -
as I possibly can while time allows.”
And that is the agenda that a good proportion of the world is following,
perhaps the majority.
Of course, some psychologists try to advise us that real happiness lies not
so much in things, but in human relationships.