Monday, August 1, 2016

escaping the lab.


It is a pathetic condition of man, and especially of modern Western man, that he is so much a slave of his own feelings. He has not learnt anything in childhood, and at no other time is he taught, and it has never been suggested to him that it is possible for him to be other than a slave to his own states and moods. To become convinced that this slavery is not necessary is a real revolution in one's own inner understanding and one's attitude towards oneself. It is a revolution because we are not only accustomed to being in this state of slavery but we are accustomed to justify it, even to believe that it is quite right and proper that we should be offended, that we should be touchy, that we should be what we call sensitive in our dealings with people, and so on. How much of our conversations, of our interests and so on are all kept in motion by this slavish condition inside ourselves!

J.G.Bennett, "how We Do Things," pg.29-30