GURDJIEFF, G.I. – Life is real only then, when I am - Integral Book

temporary people in general, and is manifested in the fact that a mandoes not guide himself in his acts by his own reasoning but followsblindly the example of others, and how the degree of development ofhis mentation—in the sense of his ableness to make logicalconfrontations—is really of a very low level. I wish also to show that,thanks to these descriptions of mine, there will be elucidated and willbecome really clear for every reader of my writings at least that side ofthe custom, existing in the process of our common life, which is spreadeverywhere, especially among Americans, and consists in that people,in their striving to achieve the same aim, are divided into various socalled"parties" which, in my opinion, especially in these last years,have assumed the character of one of the biggest so to say "plagues" ofour contemporary common life.These events, which by their content can correspond also to the aimwhich I put to myself in exposing this series—that is to say, that theymight also carry an instructive character-proceeded in the followingsequence:After I had announced at the general meeting the indis-pensability ofsigning the mentioned obligation and had set a definite time by which ithad to be signed, they almost all in the same evening, as I learnedafterwards, dividing into separate groups, first walked about the streetsand then, taking themselves off to various nocturnal "Childses," as theycall them, or to the apartments of those whose what is called "domestictyrant," usual in every contemporary household, was on that day absent,discussed and argued excitedly almost till morning as to what theyshould do.On the next day, from the early morning, also meeting and talking bytelephone with those of their comrades who had not been present at thisgeneral meeting, they continued their exchange of thoughts andopinions, and as a result of all these