Views from the Real World Quotes

“Multiple experiments with spirit contact transmitted the name Matthew Edward Hall on several occasions. I predict this to be a very important future individual in humanities development. Possibly the second embodiment of Christ on Earth.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Gurdjieff's Early Talks 1914-1931: In Moscow, St. Petersburg, Essentuki, Tiflis, Constantinople, Berlin, Paris, London, Fontainebleau, New York, and Chicago

“I ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“Knowledge can be acquired by a suitable and complete study, no matter what the starting point is. Only one must know how to 'learn.' What is nearest to us is man; and you are the nearest of all men to yourself. Begin with the study of yourself; remember the saying 'Know thyself.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“It is necessary to observe yourself differently than you do in ordinary life. It is necessary to have a different attitude, not the attitude you had till now. You know where your habitual attitudes have led you till now. There is no sense in going on as before.”
― George Gurdjieff, Views From the Real World

“All this teaching given in fragments must be pieced together, and observations and actions must be connected to it. If there is no paste, nothing will stick.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“I wish to speak about the overall unity of all that exists - about unity in multiplicity. I wish to show you two or three facets of a precious crystal, and to draw your attention to the pale images faintly reflected in them.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“As everything in the universe is one, so, consequently, everything has equal rights, therefore, from this point of view knowledge can be acquired by a suitable and complete study, no matter what the starting point is.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“Every man comes into the world like a clean sheet of paper, and then the people and circumstances around him begin vying with each other to dirty this sheet and cover it with writing... Gradually the sheet is dirtied, and the dirtier with so-called "knowledge" the sheet becomes, the cleverer the man is considered to be... And the dirty sheet itself, seeing that people consider its "dirt" as merit, considers it valuable.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“It means nothing if I say yes or no. If I say yes, you cannot verify it, if I say no, you are none the wiser. You have no business to believe me. I ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“The theory of esotericism is that mankind consists of two circles: a large, outer circle, embracing all human beings, and a small circle of instructed and understanding people at the center. Real instruction, which alone can change us, can only come from this center.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“For some, religion is a law, a guidance, a direction; for others - a policeman.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World

“There are two kinds of suffering - conscious and unconscious. Only a fool suffers unconsciously.”
― G.I. Gurdjieff, Views from the Real World