A Record of Meetings held by P.D. Ouspensky - HolyBooks.com

MRS. M. Can I put it another way?MR. O. How can you put it another way? You asked your question, Iexplained to you, I answered you but you did not wait until Ianswered. What is the use of explaining what you said when you speakbefore I have answered. You could wait.MRS. M. I thought you had finished.MR. O. How could you say this? I was speaking—you could wait, andI was trying to answer your question. Again you speak and again Ianswer. 'How to be serious if one is not serious'! This is wrongformulation because it means nothing at all. To try to be serious, firstyou must understand what it means, first ask yourself: 'Do I knowwhat it means to be serious?' If you don't know, that would be aquestion. Then you can try to find what is connected with that, what isdisconnected, what happens when you are serious and when you arenot. If you just throw out such a question you use words withoutmeaning; with such words we shall not move one inch from the spot.For instance, 'to be serious' means listening, not arguing, trying tounderstand. There is nothing difficult in this—this is what means 'tobe serious'. [Short pause.]Think about arguing, this is a very good example. I can guaranteethat in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred in examples which you mayfind in yourselves, you will always find excuses for yourselves. Startwith this.MISS M. Does this go in line with the sacrificing of our decision?MR. O. No, this has nothing to do with it.MISS H . If we remember ourselves we should not argue with othermembers of the group.MR. O. I did not say with other members of the group.MISS H . Only with you?MR. O. I did not say that. I said all cases of arguing, first of all withyourself. Why of the comprehensible make the incomprehensible,instead of the simple make the difficult and instead of the completemake the incomplete?MR. W. Is it possible to think at all without arguing?MR. O. This is too formatory. You add 'at all', and this changes it. Ineverything there are extremes and I speak of the centre of gravity.Better if someone finds an example of his own arguing because I meana special kind of arguing. Certainly intellectual centre works by means