“Our susceptibility to the myth of ‘Mr. Right’ comes from our glorification of romantic love. The ego uses romantic love for its ‘special purposes,’ causing us to jeopardize relationships by overvaluing their romantic content. The difference between friendship and infatuation can be illustrated with the image of a long-stemmed rose. The stem is the friendship, […]
“None of us is objectively attractive or unattractive. There is no such thing. I have been with men who did not think I was good enough at all. I have also been with men who were smart enough to say, ‘You look beautiful tonight’ often enough to boost my self-esteem and help me manifest myself […]
From the book by M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled “Whenever we take a step to extend our boundaries, we do so by either overcoming the inertia of laziness or confronting the fear of resistance. The first we call work; the second we call courage. Love, then, is always either work or courage directed […]
“The second most common misconception about love is that dependency is love. This is most frequently expressed by people who say, ‘I cannot live without my husband (wife, lover).’ When you require another individual for your survival, you are a parasite upon that individual. There is no choice in the relationship, no freedom. It is […]
“People ask, ‘Why can’t I find a deep, loving relationship?’ The question is understandable, because people are lonely… When we are alone, the ego makes it seem as though all pain would disappear if only we had a boyfriend or girlfriend. But if a relationship takes hold, it will bring as much of our existential […]
From the book by M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled “Love is not a feeling. This is because love is an action. It is an act of will rather than emotionality. For the lover, it is not only possible but also necessary to disregard the feeling of love. It is easy and pleasant to […]
Osho: “People go from one guru to another, from one teacher to another, from one temple to another—not because they are great seekers, but because they are incapable of deciding. So they go from one thing to another. This is their way to avoid commitment. The same happens in other human relationships: a man goes […]
“The mystery of love gives rise to countless false stories… However, when we abandon these false theories, we open ourselves to experiencing love in all its richness. Of all the misconceptions about love, the most widely held is the belief that falling in love is love. The fact is that the only reason for falling […]
“How do we find a holy relationship? Not by asking God to change our partner, but by asking Him to change our thinking… The prayer looks something like this: ‘Dear God, You know and I know that in this area I have more potential for neurosis than in any other. Please take my attraction, my […]
The human psyche is exceptionally complex. Most of the reasons behind what happens in our lives lie outside the area illuminated by our conscious attitude. This is why psychological insight is so valuable, and it is the reason I want to share a quote from M. Scott Peck, where he explains the hidden causes of […]
“Many people suffer from the problem I call ‘cheap forgiveness.’ Upon their first visit to a therapist, they declare: ‘I know my childhood wasn’t ideal, but my parents did the best they could, and I forgive them.’ But as the therapist gets to know them, they discover that they haven’t forgiven their parents at all. […]
“The most loving person is the person who is Self-centered. Therefore, your first relationship must be with your Self. You must first learn to honor and cherish and love your Self… You must first see your Self as worthy before you can see another as worthy. You must first see your Self as blessed before […]
