The evolution of man is the evolution of his consciousness, and 'consciousness' cannot evolve unconsciously. The evolution of man is the evolution of his will, and 'will' cannot evolve involuntarily.
G. I. GurdjieffRead
Conscious faith is freedom. Emotional faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is foolishness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Different forms of faith reveal different states of being; conscious faith leads to freedom while others can lead to bondage or ignorance.
G. I. Gurdjieff's quote emphasizes the distinction between various types of faith. Conscious faith, which involves awareness and understanding, offers true liberation. In contrast, emotional faith can become a form of enslavement where a person's emotions dictate their beliefs, leading to dependency. Mechanical faith refers to uninformed beliefs that operate without critical thought, resulting in foolishness. Hence, the quote encourages individuals to seek a higher, more aware form of faith for true freedom.
Themes
FaithFreedomSlaveryWisdomConsciousness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of understanding one's beliefs.
More from G. I. Gurdjieff
All quotes βRemember you come here having already understood the necessity of struggling with yourself β only with yourself. Therefore thank everyone who gives you the opportunity.
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It is the greatest mistake to think that man is always one and the same. A man is never the same for long. He is continually changing. He seldom remains the same even for half an hour.
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Laughter relieves us of superfluous energy, which, if it remained unused, might become negative, that is, poison. Laughter is the antidote.
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If a man could understand all the horror of the lives of ordinary people who are turning around in a circle of insignificant interests and insignificant aims, if he could understand what they are losing, he would understand that there can only be one thing that is serious for him - to escape from the general law, to be free. What can be serious for a man in prison who is condemned to death? Only one thing: How to save himself, how to escape: nothing else is serious.
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In order to understand the interrelation of truth and falsehood in life, a man must understand falsehood in himself, the constant incessant lies he tells himself.
G. I. GurdjieffRead
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