The Impersonal Life

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====== The Inner Life ======
== THE HERALD OF THE NEW AGE | JUNE 1937 ==
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==== EDITORIAL ====
=== THE PERSONALITY ===
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WHAT is the personality? The Standard Dictionary defines “personality” as that which constitutes, distinguishes and characterizes a person; and defines a “person” as the body of a human being, or its characteristic appearance and condition. From the Latin persona, a mask for actors. A part acted on a stage.

Let us consider all these phases so that we can see clearly just what is the personality of a man. If the person of a man—a human being—is his body or its characteristic appearance and condition, and if his personality is that which distinguishes and constitutes his person or body, then his personality must be something that he develops, wears and shows forth to the world as representing himself. But is it himself? No, it is only what he appears to be; it is a mask he wears, either purposely, wanting to appear as he seems, or more or less unconsciously, not knowing how he appears to others.

But what constitutes this personality, this mask; what is it he puts on to make him appear other than his real self? Think on this for a moment. Why do not all men appear as they really are? Do all men try to appear other than they are?

In trying to answer these questions one cannot help but realize that there is something in man’s nature that actually prevents him from being himself—something beyond his present ability to control, and that this something is obtruding itself, hiding, coloring and often grossly distorting man’s real self.

A careful study of one’s own nature inevitably leads to the conclusion that something is selfishness, and that this personality of ours is “self,” the creation of selfishness, and which the more it grows, and thrives becomes more unlike the real man, which it hides, and whose right to live and express it has usurped until man’s real nature is almost unable to make itself known and felt.

Why is this and why is it so with almost all men, and very seldom do we see a man expressing his real self? That of course brings us to the consideration of what is a man’s real self.

Do you know your real self, dear reader? Think carefully, before you answer. Are you sure you understand it fully? Why not, if it is the real you?

Is not the answer—the real man must be that “image and likeness” man created in the beginning, which Jehovah God saw and pronounced “very good?” Must not that original self of you then be the real you, the you who is wearing the mask of a personality that claims to be you, but is far from representing the real of you? Oh yes, that real you that God created has never died and has continued up to this minute—IS you, and will always BE you. But many of your creations—your various personalities of former lives—have died and no longer exist, the same as with most of your false beliefs.

But this real self is the soul of you, that which was created in the beginning in God’s image and likeness, and which must be that inner part of you that ever since has been trying to come forth and express its goodness and perfection, but which has always been prevented by the outer covering—the mask or personality that you wear and which makes you appear and act far different from what the real of you wants to be and do.

Consider this last thought for a moment—your acting and appearing far different from what the real of you wants to be and do. Do you think this is always so with everyone? Some of us are so little acquainted with our real selves that we deem it impossible for all men to have good and perfect selves; but must it not be so—if all men were created in the image and likeness of God?

This is something for us all carefully to consider, and then for us to think how we can become fully acquainted with our real self and can let it out into free expression; when perhaps we may be able to see better the real selves of others.

Now let us study and try to determine what to do about these personalities of ours that are thus limiting and preventing the real of us from expressing our perfect natures—those God gave us in the beginning.

When we see and our attention is held by some obnoxious quality, feature or trait in another personality, why does it interest us, and why do we not instead try to see the real of that one? In the answer to this question lies the secret of personality, for it shows up to us the faults, weaknesses and shortcomings still in evidence in our own personalities.

The fact is, the real self of us was but pointing out that particular weakness in us, so that we could see it for what it is and could then take it in hand and change it. This means, of course, that it was not shown us as a criticism or judgment of that other, but on the contrary, that now, recognizing how that quality in us is influencing us, we can have more sympathy with the real self of our brother, knowing what a problem he is also having with his personality. Follow out this thought carefully, along with a study of yourself when criticizing another, and you will see that this must be so.

Then we all must have a real problem in our personalities, one that we must work with until we handle it, and the only way we can handle it is to remove every quality of self that is hindering in any way the perfect expression of our true natures, which means our “image and likeness” natures. And when we think of this sufficiently, we cannot help but realize what a problem we have before us—one that will take all our power, ingenuity and ability to handle, leaving us no time to consider other personalities.

We do learn, however, that as we master some quality, fault or weakness in ourselves, we have true sympathy for our brother coping with these same qualities in his personality, and we do all we can to help—by right thinking.

Just what should we do when seeing these obnoxious qualities in another, you ask? First, refuse to look at them, and know they are of the personality only. Then, realizing that other is a brother, send him your loving thoughts of understanding, which he will surely receive and be strengthened and encouraged thereby; and then know the truth with him that such weakness is not real and that he is all good and perfect. Then go about your business, knowing you have thus wiped that quality out of your consciousness, consequently out of your life, and therefore out of manifestation.

The remarkable thing is—you will no longer see that quality in your brother’s personality and you will never more see it in any other personality; for the simple reason that you have removed it from your own consciousness, and therefore from your own personality.

The lessons to be learned from the above are that so long as one looks at and allows oneself to be interested in personalities, one will see all the faults, weaknesses and shortcomings which they abound, for there are no perfect personalities—they are all more or less selfish, which means they have more or less imperfections.

But when one learns to look for the good in everyone, one becomes more and more aware of the souls or real selves of one’s brothers, and the real joy of spiritual fellowship results, incapable of being understood by anyone who has not proven this for himself.

Also one finds that much more effective help can be given to another by seeing only the good and true of him and sending him loving thoughts of encouragement, when ugly qualities obtrude themselves. Yes, we know this is difficult—at first, even as it is difficult to handle your own faults the old way; but when by practice you see the wonderful good resulting from refusing to see these faults, and holding to the truth of your and others’ real nature, you will rejoice and praise God for His help in enabling you thus to cleanse your and His consciousness in you of these lies born of the selfish and separate mind.

Just after writing the above a letter came from a friend containing the following:

“Teaching now seems to require the silent rather than the audible spoken word. I have found an opposition and resistance these days in those who before were ready to accept and learn truths new to them. And many old, undesirable traits in myself which I thought eliminated persist in bobbing up at the slightest provocation. Often I recall to my mind the verse:
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‘On top my thoughts are nice and neat,
\\ With noble words and manners sweet;
\\ But when some crisis stirs my mind
\\ I’m just surprised at what I find.’
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“This is indeed a time of weeding out and replanting with the flowers of perfect love, so that we will be fully prepared to make the ‘righthand turn’ when we reach it, now that we are in the King’s Chamber.”

A good way, when some negative or unhappy trait or act of another is thus shown you, is to say to yourself, “That is only personality saying or doing that,” and then send a loving thought of sympathetic understanding to the real self of that one. A faithful practice of this will bring about some remarkable results, for you will find a noticeable change taking place in that other’s personality, as well as in your own.
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J. S. BENNER, Editor of THE INNER LIFE Magazine, will be in New York City at Hotel Commodore the week beginning May 24th and will be glad to see any of the friends of The Sun Center and the Magazine. It is suggested that those wishing to see him or to have him attend Group Meetings either write notes requesting appointments, giving phone numbers, or phone him Monday morning.

Because of the many friends in the city and suburbs he will try to see all possible during the limited time he is there.
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