154. M. SCOTT PECK — A
The Road Less Traveled (1978) was written by Scott Peck when he was 40. It stayed on the New York Times best seller list for years, sold more than 10 million copies, and was translated into 20 languages. Peck was a psychiatrist, and he served in the Army rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was Chief of Psychology and Medical Director in several assignments before beginning his private psychiatric practice. There is also evidence of his being a bit of a theologian.
His first book was followed by several more. In addition, he was a popular lecturer. Although his personal life was not a model one, the insights from his personal life as well as his experiences made sense to millions. This week’s triptych gleans insights from two of his later books: The Road Less Traveled and Beyond (1997), which he wrote when he was 60 and that he said ties together many of the ways in which he had been pushed, and A World Waiting to be Born (1993).
“Many people think that listening is a passive interaction. It is just the opposite. Listening well is an active exercise of our attention and, by necessity, is hard work. … When we extend ourselves by attempting to listen and communicate well, we take an extra step or walk an extra mile. … Listening well also requires total concentration upon another and is a manifestation of love in the broadest sense of the word. … I have found that the knowledge that one is being truly listened to is frequently, in and of itself, remarkably therapeutic.”
“The point of thinking well, is to become more conscious, which in turn, is a prerequisite for solving problems well. … We have both a conscious mind and an unconscious mind. The conscious mind makes decisions and translates them into action. The unconscious mind resides below the surface; it is the possessor of extraordinary knowledge that we aren’t naturally aware of. It knows more than we know — the ‘we’ being defined as our conscious self. … It is when we are conscious that we have free will.”
“But why would someone choose not to think deeply? Why would someone choose to think only simplistically, superficially, and reflexively? The answer, again, is that, despite our consciousness, what we have in common with the other creatures is a preference for avoiding pain. Thinking deeply is often more painful than thinking shallowly. … Unfortunately, pain is an inevitable side effect of consciousness. We will also become more aware of the needs, burdens, and sorrows of ourselves and others.”
“There are innumerable degrees of consciousness, given that some people exert themselves more or less than others.”
“Thinking and consciousness are inextricably locked together in a parallel relationship. Consciousness is the foundation of all thinking, and thinking is the foundation of all consciousness. Anytime there is a failure in thinking, there is [a] corresponding deficit in a person’s level of consciousness.”
“So, there is yet another reason to seek greater consciousness. It is the foundation of mental and spiritual growth. And it is through this growth that we become ever more competent.”
“In my practice as a psychotherapist, I would routinely tell my patients, ‘Psychotherapy is not about happiness; it is about power. If you go the whole route here, I cannot guarantee you that you will leave one jot happier. What I can guarantee you is that you will leave more competent.’ I would go on to say, ‘But there is a vacuum of competence in the world, and so as soon as people become more competent, God or life will give them bigger things to do. Consequently, you may well leave here worrying about far bigger problems than when you first came. Nevertheless, a certain kind of joy and peace of mind do come from knowing that you’re worrying about big things and no longer getting bent out of shape about the little ones.’”
“Yet another painful burden that comes with increased consciousness and competence is the loneliness of transcending traditional culture. … Since many who are conscious do not readily buy into the ‘go along to get along’ mentality that is prevalent in society, they find it hard to fit neatly into the mainstream.”
“The more we can become conscious, the more we will grow in power and competence, but to what purpose? … I believe that part of the answer … can be found in the Latin derivation of the word ‘conscious’ con-scire, which literally means ‘to know with.’ … To know with what? I suggest that the answer is to know with God.”
Q: Are you ready to stretch your consciousness in the way that Peck describes it?
