It has been said over and over in different words that in our day the technical advancements of man have outdistanced what is usually called "moral" advancement. That is, the human material which is obliged to endure these achievements (if you can call them that) has itself not advanced. On the contrary, it has deteriorated with frightening rapidity. Our technology has outdistanced our being. Anyone who can think even a little can see this very clearly, but because nowhere does there appear to be any sensible solution, our little minds fall back. On our own, we cannot grapple with the challenges we're faced with. Something in us knows that we need help to do this - we need each other.
There are four things that can be learned by working with a group or a center. The first is fearlessness, that you are not afraid of, or overawed by anyone or anything. Gurdjieff wished to help us free ourselves from the cowardice now embedded in our bones and blood so that we could have the ableness to speak as a man, (man without quotation marks) a real human being. So, speak or remain silent in such a way that you do not betray yourself. It’s when you try to please other people, try to make them “like” you that you betray yourself. Outside you must conform — inside remain free. And of course there is “external considering” which is the beginning of the practice of the ableness to do as the Gospels suggest. Do unto others as you would they did unto you. But that is a whole other level!
The second thing that you need to learn is respect. “Respect that which is to be respected.” In our age we have very little respect or none. There is no respect for many things, such as the activities of the Work. They need to be respected and all of us need to be aware of how to do that. Respect must be inner, genuine, but the part of us that has to practice the respect is our body. We have to bring our body to the place where it doesn’t just flop about when it wants, how it wants. It looks and it can see for itself what needs to be respected. It can. You remember Balaam’s ass? It was Balaam’s ass that saw God in the burning bush, not Balaam. He did not — his donkey did. We’ve each got that donkey, so let your donkey manifest the respect it feels. Perhaps as we work at the Movements you can understand what is being said better. There is something in the Movements that absolutely compels respect.
The third thing is resourcefulness. You have to put your Work first and your life second. Now that doesn’t mean that you immediately rush off, leave your wife and family destitute and not pay your debts! It simply means that you have priorities; you have life duties and obligations that you must discharge — but you do this because you put your Work first. You discharge your obligations honorably because Work comes first. For many generations we have put our ordinary lives first, so it takes a lot of practice. We’ve been conditioned that way from the time we were children. It’s very important now that we learn how to put our Work first, and in order to do this we need to be resourceful. The chapter, “The Material Question” at the end of Meetings with Remarkable Men gives you examples of how to do that. Money is important only inasmuch as you have to have it to do what you want to do. But first decide what you want to do and start doing it. Then get the money to do it with. You see? Don’t put getting the money first because that belongs to life.
The fourth thing, which is the most difficult and the least understood, is responsibility. Gurdjieff speaks of “the being of a responsible being.” So what is that? As I am I don’t have it. I’m afraid to take responsibility for my own life, afraid to take responsibility for my own Work. But until we are able to do that we can never be responsible for anything else.
It is our privilege to work for those four inner qualities and they are well worth working for. But first we have to understand — ponder them. One of the purposes of study groups is to provide a means for those who wish to discover sense and meaning in their life, a way to work together towards a greater understanding.