The Supreme Doctrine - neo-alchemist

THE MECHANISM OF ANXIETY
rationalises his tendencies; he cheats in putting ideal 'principles' in harmony
with his will-to-power, or more exactly in presenting to himself his practical
problems in such a way that his reason approves his tendencies.
2ND CASE. THE INDEPENDENT INTELLIGENCE IS STRONG.
THE TWO SYSTEMS OPPOSE ONE ANOTHER.
'FEAR' OF DEFEAT. DISTRESS
This man whose abstract part is strongly developed intellectually feels
that the abstract, the general, is more real than the concrete, the particular. In
the course of his search for success over the Not-Self the particular success is
eclipsed by the general idea of success. He does not think in duration but
from the angle of eternity; as in fact he lives in duration, and as the
intersection of eternity and duration is the instant, he lives in the instant. He
is the man of 'at this very moment'. He does not want his victory over the
Not-Self finally, but at once; he desires to succeed in the temporal sphere
instantly.
But this complete victory over an aspect of the Not-Self on the moment
is manifestly impossible; nothing can be done on the temporal plane without
duration. In order to avoid feeling rebuffed in the very centre of his being this
man must do something; he must 'reason with himself', he must withdraw the
pretention that he advanced to such a manifestation of his temporal
omnipotence ('these grapes are too sour'). He adapts himself to the limiting
conditions of his temporal existence, he pretends to accept them voluntarily,
freely. In reality he does not and cannot accept them, he resigns himself to
them merely, that is to say that, without accepting them, he acts as though he
accepted them.
It is of capital importance to understand this distinction between
acceptation and resignation. To accept, really to accept a situation, is to think
and feel with the whole of one's being that, even if one had the faculty of
modifying it, one would not do it, and would have no reason to do it. Man in
his inner unconciliated dualistic state, with a separated reason and affectivity,
is absolutely unable to adhere affectively to the existence of the Not-Self by
which he feels himself repudiated. He can only pretend to accept, that is to
say resign himself. Resignation contains a factual acceptation and a
theoretical refusal. And these two elements are not conciliated, and are
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