When one lives in a given society, one is constantly subject to the suggestions of that society. The suggestions from that society are their common beliefs. The person who would evolve must be aware of these common beliefs of all the society that surrounds him so he is aware of the suggestions that come to one. 

Many, many long years ago there was a great teacher known as Hermes, who had a school that was known as “Hermes.” It was in Egypt. One of his teachings was that one should be sealed from all the suggestions of society. From this came, of course, the words “hermetically sealed” which means it’s absolutely sealed, airtight, watertight, vapor-tight, and any other thing. So, in order to have ourselves in somewhat of a sealed state so that we are not subject to suggestions, we will be aware of the general beliefs of the people with which we associate – the ones we live, the society in which one exists. 

We are going to repeat some commonly observed beliefs. It would be quite long to take down in detail so they can be put in the Awareness – I could be aware of these beliefs. We will not necessarily recall them all, but by the end of the week as you consider this discussion at least once in all these beliefs of the general society at least once each day, one will be rather familiar with them, and one will hear them from many directions. Now they may be said in slightly different words. It is the idea – not the exact words – that we are concerned with. We will be aware of these ideas that are believed by the great number of people in society. Not everyone of them believes every one of them, but they’re very, very common. And one will be exposed to practically every one of these in a week. If one should be unaware of it, it may even sound logical or reasonable, and if one is slightly “sleepy” at that moment – which means one isn’t paying direct attention – one won’t. 

But if one is well acquainted with these, they will sound like a bell and will startle one into awake. Sometimes it is nice to be shocked. It does wake us up. If a person is very sound asleep in the bed, sometimes you have to shake them a little bit to get him awake. If one is acquainted with these basic ideas that the people believe, one will hear them. Of course, they are excellent also for a little more self-observation to see if some are still lurking around. The first one we’ll use is:

PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT BUT THEY GO ON AND DO WHAT IS WRONG ANYWAY. 

That, of course, is anti-agape. It says that people know what’s right and they go do wrong; therefore, they are blamable, and they knowingly prevented me. We see them as unknowingly being Second Force, and that they’re acting out their unconscious decisions – their conditioning – and that they could do no other thing, which might be Love, Agape. But the people believe, and it is repeated endless times through the week to one – that people know what’s right and they go on and do wrong anyway – the whole idea behind that.

“I” HAVE CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS THAT CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. 

And then, of course, these we have to “stick up for”. This is suggested to us from every conceivable side. “I” have rights. “I” have rights in the home. “I” have rights in traffic. “I” have rights in business. “I” have rights in privacy,” and a few jillion other “rights.”

“I” KNOW WHAT OUGHT TO BE AND, THEREFORE, “I” KNOW WHAT IS IDEAL. AND “I” KNOW WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BRING IT ABOUT.

 So, this is heard over and over. You know – “This ought to be,” or “Well, that ought not to be.” Or “This should be. This should not be.” Of course, that endless repetition is a powerful suggestion. So, we be aware of it and hear it like a bell whenever we hear it so that we are aware of it and it doesn’t come barging in.

“I” BELIEVE “I” KNOW HOW TO DO A THING RIGHT.

Such as move, eat, and all the other things. “I” know how to do it, and “I” know how to do it rightly.

“I” BELIEVE IN GAMING – THAT IS, IN SUPERSTITION.

“I” believe that there is all sorts of little things that if this happens, it will bring in something else. “I” believe that one can really gamble, for instance.

“I” BELIEVE IN BEING ATTACKED BY DISEASE AND MISFORTUNE.

How often do we hear, do we read, do we talk to someone that says so-and-so has been attacked by influenza, or their appendix has attacked them, or their heart has attacked them, or they’ve had an attack of indigestion? Indigestion has attacked them.

“I” BELIEVE IN LUCK.

Just happenstance… the whims of luck.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” SHOULD SAY “I” BELIEVE CERTAIN THINGS EVEN THOUGH I DON’T BELIEVE THEM.”

“I” BELIEVE SOMETIMES THAT “I” BELIEVE THOSE THINGS THAT “I” SAY “I” BELIEVE UNTIL THE CHIPS ARE DOWN.”

We may say that we believe that “all is good” and that we believe in many, many things. But when there is a challenge we will see the run for something else. How often do we see it? 

“I” BELIEVE THAT MIGHT MAKES RIGHT.

“I” believe that the country that has the greatest power is in the right and that the weak ones are in the wrong.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” AM RELIEVED OF ALL RESPONSIBILITY WHEN “I” CAN BLAME SOMETHING OR SOMEBODY ELSE.”

[He repeats it] I believe that “I” am relieved of all responsibility when “I” can establish blame on something or somebody else.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING “I” READ IN PRINT, IN THE NEWSPAPERS, THE MAGAZINES, AND IN BOOKS – other than novels – IS TRUE.

“I” BELIEVE THAT WE ARE RIGHT, AND THEY ARE WRONG.”

“I” BELIEVE IN THE TEACHINGS OF KARL MARX.

That one is the product of his society.

“I” BELIEVE IN FREUD.

That “I” am a victim of what was done to me when “I” was a child.

“I” BELIEVE IN DARWIN.

That we are the product of evolution and that “I” simply cannot help being what “I” am; that after all, “I” inherited it.

“I” BELIEVE THAT THE REASON “I” BELIEVE ALL OF THEM IS THAT THEY ALL SAY “I” AM NOT RESPONSIBLE.

One says society did it. One says the parents or early teachings or happenings did it, and the other one says heredity did it. So, therefore, “I” am relieved of all responsibility.

“I” BELIEVE THAT GOD IS A MYTH LIKE SANTA CLAUS.

But “I” must not say “I” believe this. We will have to observe how people act on this one because the greater part of people will say they believe it, but their every action proves they do not. So, let’s observe this double belief here.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IS A POTENTIAL ENEMY. 

Ninety percent of them are picking on me now and the other 10% will.

“I” BELIEVE THAT A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF MONEY WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” HAVE NO SUBCONSCIOUS OR CONDITIONED MIND. “I” BELIEVE THAT “I” KNOW EVERYTHING WHICH IS IN MY HEAD.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” HAVE FREE AGENCY AND CAN CHOOSE EXACTLY HOW “I” BEHAVE. “I” ALSO BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN MAKE ME MAD OR THAT YOU CAN MAKE ME GLAD.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPECT FULFILLMENT OF ALL MY WISHES WITH NO EFFORT ON MY PART.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD AGREE WITH ME.

If they don’t, they are just being plain stubborn because, obviously, what “I” believe is true, and they can know it’s true, but they want to be perverse. Or maybe they are just stupid.

“I” BELIEVE THAT IF BY ANY CHANCE THERE IS A GOD, HE SHOULD BE MY SLAVE AND DO AS “I” TELL HIM.

Now, this would not be said, but let’s listen to someone pray. You know, there’s lots of people pray in public. And let’s see how they phrase it and see if they believe that God is a slave and It should do really what they want Him to. That is if by any chance there is a God, according to them.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” AM VERY CAPABLE OF GIVING YOU ADVICE AND “I” ALSO BELIEVE “I” AM CAPABLE OF GIVING GOD ADVICE.

As to what things should be done, what He should please observe, and what He should not observe.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY – BUT ME, EXCEPTED – HAS TO DIE.

No one really lives as though they would ever die. Please observe that belief. They believe that other people are going to die, but they never believe “I” is going to die. Observe it.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU SAY. BUT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING “I” SAY OR YOU WOULD TOTALLY AGREE WITH ME.

Now, “I” understand all your arguments. “I” understand them perfectly, but you don’t understand my arguments, or my position, or my opinions, or of course you would agree with me. So simply, you don’t understand. That’s your whole problem.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” AM ALWAYS RIGHT, BUT THAT OTHERS KNOW THEY’RE NOT RIGHT.

“I” BELIEVE THAT IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT WELL, “I” DID IT. IF IT DOESN’T WORK OUT WELL, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BLAME FOR IT BECAUSE “I” DID IT RIGHTLY.

So obviously, “I” am entitled to brag when things work out well. And “I” am entitled to complain when they don’t – and of course, “I” am not responsible.

“I” BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A UNIVERSAL LAW OF BALANCE. 

“I” believe there is such a thing as cause and effect, blame and effect. Cause is another word for blame. To see in balance – no one believes in it because if they did they’d be much more heedful, wouldn’t they? Let’s observe if anybody has any conception of a Law of Balance. The Law of Balance is much like drawing a seesaw board, a teeter-totter game for the kids. You have a sawhorse and a board across it, and there is a child on each end of it. That’s the Initiative, the Passive, the Form, the Result. The Initiative, the Resistance, the Form, the Result. If any one of those four aspects is taken away – the board, or the sawhorse, or either one of the kids, there will be no teeter-totter game. Everything in the world seems to work on that great law of four: the Initiative, the Passive or Resistance, and the Form and the Result. So, let’s observe if anybody believes in balance or do they believe purely in luck and in chance. And while we are at it, let’s make a big line under that one because it is well one to see whether we are observing or not in our self-observation.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” SHOULD APPEAR TO BE LOGICAL, BUT “I” REALLY DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT.

We always try to get the idea that if it’s logical, it’s true. So “I” should appear to be logical. But really “I” reacted a little while ago, And now I’m dreaming up a logical ex-plan-ation as to “why” “I” did what “I” did a little while ago. Let’s observe this one and especially observe if it still occurs in “I” – not with the idea of condemning it or justifying it either in self or others – but in I observing it. So that if it still does act up in “I”, that it is observed and reported to X. Then we will watch X remove that one.

“I” BELIEVE THAT WHEN “I” DIE, “I” AM ANNIHILATED.

Nobody says this except a certain very few. Most say they will have a future life of heaven or something else. Most of course, think they are entitled to a heaven. Now, if someone really believed that this heaven was coming up and that this miserable world here was so terrible – as most people seem to find it when they compare it to the ideal – they would kind of welcome dying to get to this great and glorious place they have talked so much about. But I have noticed that most do everything possible – and want it done as long as possible – to prevent it. So, what one does indicates by the action what one really believes. And by their action, is a suggestion. People say they believe they are going to a great and heavenly estate, but they will fight for every inch of the way to remain alive. And they say to their children, “Be careful, you will get sick and die. Be careful, you’ll get hurt and get killed!” In other words, everything is seen that death is the most horrible state of affairs possible. It is almost a national phobia. And obviously if the belief was different… So let’s observe this particular one.

“I” BELIEVE THAT THE VERY WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ME IS TO BE EMBARRASSED, OR EXPOSED, OR TO BE SHOWN IN A POOR LIGHT. 

“I” feel this is the very worst possible thing, other than death, that could happen to me. And some people even put death second because they’d commit suicide rather than be exposed or embarrassed. And this is interesting to observe children being conditioned to consider that embarrassment would be the most horrible thing that could happen. It is a very interesting belief to observe as one goes about. One might notice that one of the greatest difficulties most people have and the thing they spend the most time in thinking about is the way to avoid embarrassment, of being exposed as being in a poor light, or as not having an “ideal explanation” for everything they do. That is one that’s very logical and reasonable.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT ALL RIGHT UNLESS SOMEBODY HATES ME. 

Of course, the Great Teacher said leap for joy when somebody hated you because of what you were studying and doing. But you see, the basic thing is that that person hates me; therefore, will cause me all manner of trouble. We believe in a form of magic, do we not? That somebody over theres’ thoughts will hurt me. We’re like the man that found the crossed chicken feet on his doorstep.

“I” BELIEVE THAT IF IT IS DESIRABLE TO ME, THAT IF IT’S FUN OR PLEASURE, IT IS EVIL AND IT IS BAD. 

It is due punishment. If “I” enjoy it, it must be bad. If “I” have it, “I’ve” got to get rid of it quick. But still “I’m” going to struggle to get it. So, this is the conflict. You see, we have been taught a Puritan ethic that to really enjoy anything was bad. But then we also have… that’s on “B” side, you know [referring to prior sentence] … but we still have the struggle of “A” to gain that pleasure. If we gain a great amount of things, then we feel guilty and we ought to give it away – according to “B.” 

“A” says well, we’ve got to get it all again. So here is somewhat the picture of conflict. You may observe that a person believes that to really have things to use – not to own them, or identify with them, or any such thing, but simply to have them – is in some way evil. But still, it is evil not to have them, so the person is in rather a precarious position. I believe it is said to be between a rock and a hard place.

“I” BELIEVE THAT APPEARANCES ARE IMPORTANT.  

That it is important to impress by appearances, not for what “I” am, but by what “I” can impress people to think about me or to believe about me.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A GOAL, SOME IDEAL TO WORK TOWARDS.

“I” think high ideals are very excellent. In other words, we believe in the world that ideals are very great.

“I” BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING MUST BE PRACTICAL OR SERVE A PRACTICAL PURPOSE, OR OTHERWISE IT’S JUST WORTHLESS.

One meets this in many places, that they can’t see any practical purpose in being aware of self. You can’t sell it for so many dollars, nobody will hire it, nobody wants to rent it, and it won’t make you more successful – so it just has no value whatsoever. If you belong to a proper organization, now that has a practical value because the right people see you there and they will do business with you.

“I” BELIEVE IT IS WRONG TO BE “SELFISH” – “I” BELIEVE THAT SELFISHNESS AND GREEDINESS ARE THE SAME. 

But you see, unless one is aware of the value to self at this moment, or to I – the value of what is. But to be greedy is to want more, better, and different than what one has at the moment – what one has to use.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “NOW” WILL BE JUST LIKE “THEN.”

In other words, then was pretty bad and “I” think that now will be bad. Or then was pretty wonderful, so it ought to be that way now. We do not believe that every moment is new and fresh.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” SHOULD BE SPONTANEOUS, – That’s out one side of the mouth – BUT “I” BELIEVE THAT “I” SHOULD PLAN MY WORK AND WORK MY PLAN. 

Are those two beliefs compatible, or are they a decided contradiction? One is from “A” and one is from “B.” “I believe that I should be spontaneous,” and a second later someone is saying, “I believe that I should plan my work and work my plan.” Incidentally, planning is one of the greatest fantasies going today. It is probably stopping more things, is to try to plan the future and make it all just like “I” want it to be. And of course, every moment something may arise that would interfere with it; so “we better get another insurance policy, or we better put more reinforcement around this, or we better reconsider this whole thing and start over from scratch again.” And so thousands upon thousands of thousands of human hours are spent planning a mythical future, trying to anticipate any possible thing. There, of course, is the total absence of the awareness of X in that person.

“I” BELIEVE THAT “I” HAVE FREE CHOICE, OR FREE AGENCY, OR FREE WILL, BUT “I” BELIEVE A MOMENT LATER THAT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A CHOICE BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. 

Do you see the contradictions? Now, I has been observing the self for many, many weeks now, but you see, there are still hidden contradictions. We got one side out, but the other side of the contradiction is still there working. That’s why in each discussion for each week we attempt to remind that one will continue to light that lamp, the light of I observing the self. There are many dark corners in that mansion. You know, there may be sliding doors and in it is a secret compartment – who knows? But somewhere they are there. 

So let’s keep looking, and the fact we got one side off, there was a barrier between it and the other one, like these beliefs that are totally in contradiction: “I” BELIEVE THAT “I” HAVE FREE CHOICE, BUT “I” BELIEVE THAT “I” CANNOT MAKE A CHOICE BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. And a moment later someone comes up with something altogether different on that one too.

“I” BELIEVE THAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE HUMAN NATURE. 

That’s some belief! Let’s hear the contradiction: “I” believe that “I” can straighten you out, solve your problems, and get you on the right path if you will just listen to me and take my advice.

“I” BELIEVE THAT MY BODY CAN HURT ME.

Wonder what “me” is? And wonder what it is that “believes?” And wonder what its relationship is to the body?

You see, these common everyday uses of language of possessing and of avoiding responsibility are highly suggestible to all of us. Let’s review, and review, and review again and then some more – this bunch of beliefs that are very common in this society in which we exist. And that we are subject to the suggestion from these beliefs and that some of them may still be lurking somewhere in a compartment hidden behind a nice barrier that kept the contradiction from showing. And they’re still operating.