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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. Gurdjieff
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes that the growth of human beings is intrinsically linked to their awareness and intentionality.

G. I. Gurdjieff suggests that the development of humanity is not just a biological process but fundamentally tied to the evolution of consciousness and will. For consciousness to evolve, one must be aware of their thoughts and actions; similarly, will must be exercised intentionally. Thus, personal growth and evolution require active participation and awareness from individuals, rather than happening by chance or without conscious effort.

Themes

EvolutionConsciousnessWillGrowthIntentionality

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about self-improvement, one might say, 'As G. I. Gurdjieff reminds us, true evolution comes from conscious effort.'

More from G. I. Gurdjieff

Conscious faith is freedom. Emotional faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is foolishness.
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Remember 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.
G. I. GurdjieffRead
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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