Aug. 4, 2025
We Tend to Take Ourselves Too Seriously
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 142-143
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/we-tend-to-take-ourselves-too-seriously/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,440
Seriously, we get all wound up
about things that have no real
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,520
significance in the larger
picture of life.
3
00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,640
Whether it is someone cutting in
front of us in a queue or on the
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,680
road, or whether someone says
something about us which we do
5
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,760
not like.
We tend to get revved up and
6
00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,560
Stew on what happened in issues
that have some relevance to our
7
00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,800
daily lives.
We become even more fixated on
8
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:35,080
what we desire to see happen and
if we turn to politics, religion
9
00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,280
or economic theory, we are in
many cases ready to kill to
10
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:46,400
uphold our favoured viewpoint.
Seriously, we get into a narrow,
11
00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,120
rigid, solemn state of mind when
we are confronted with defending
12
00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,920
whatever beliefs we have
incorporated into our minds,
13
00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:01,240
whether based in fact or not.
It is a sign of some amount of
14
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,920
maturity and inner growth for
people to begin to recognize
15
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,160
that there are differing views
and ways of addressing issues
16
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:15,080
and that our own viewpoints must
be taken with a grain of salt,
17
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,760
so to speak.
When someone takes up the
18
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,480
religious or the spiritual life,
he begins to examine his each
19
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,480
and every thought, emotion,
feeling, and reaction.
20
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,440
He judges them based on the
rules and guidelines he is
21
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,360
provided by whatever faith or
specific practice he is
22
00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,160
following.
Of course, he cannot control
23
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:43,560
100% of all these things, and
thus spots variances between his
24
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,840
internal reaction and the rules
he wants to adhere to these.
25
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:54,600
In some cases, very small things
become enormous issues, and with
26
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,040
the tendency of taking oneself
too seriously that infects
27
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,440
humans generally, he begins to
tell himself that he is a
28
00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:09,440
failure, that he has not cut out
for the spiritual life, or that
29
00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,280
there is something wrong with
the teaching he is following.
30
00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,440
It is for such instances that
Triorobindo and the mother
31
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,160
counsel the seeker to smile at
the circumstances and just keep
32
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,560
going on.
A dose of cheerfulness combined
33
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,560
with patience and perseverance
is the general cure for such a
34
00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:38,640
state, the mother notes quote.
The more you advance, the more
35
00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:43,080
vigilant must you become.
And the most essential quality
36
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:49,880
is perseverance, endurance, and
a, what shall I call it, a kind
37
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,560
of inner good humor which helps
you not to get discouraged, not
38
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,040
to become sad, and to face all
difficulties with a smile.
39
00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,200
There's an English word which
expresses this very well,
40
00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,560
cheerfulness.
If you can keep this within you,
41
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:13,080
you fight much better, resist
much better in the light these
42
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,600
bad influences which try to
hinder you from progressing.
43
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,640
A smile acts upon difficulties
as the sun upon clouds.
44
00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:27,120
It disperses them.
Someone who knows how to smile
45
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:32,520
in all circumstances is very
close to true equality of soul.
46
00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,000
Generally speaking, man is an
animal who takes himself
47
00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,120
terribly seriously to know how
to smile at oneself in all
48
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,880
circumstances, to smile at one's
sorrows and disillusions,
49
00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,240
ambitions and sufferings,
indignation and revolt.
50
00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,320
What a powerful weapon with
which to overcome oneself.
51
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,560
Learn to smile always and in all
circumstances, to smile at your
52
00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,680
sorrows as well as your joys,
your sufferings as well as your
53
00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,200
hopes.
For in a smile there is a
54
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,440
sovereign power of self mastery.
End Quote.
55
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,000
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Looking from Within,
56
00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:26,200
Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, pages 142
57
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:27,400
to 143.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,440
Seriously, we get all wound up
about things that have no real
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,520
significance in the larger
picture of life.
3
00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,640
Whether it is someone cutting in
front of us in a queue or on the
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,680
road, or whether someone says
something about us which we do
5
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,760
not like.
We tend to get revved up and
6
00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,560
Stew on what happened in issues
that have some relevance to our
7
00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,800
daily lives.
We become even more fixated on
8
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:35,080
what we desire to see happen and
if we turn to politics, religion
9
00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,280
or economic theory, we are in
many cases ready to kill to
10
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:46,400
uphold our favoured viewpoint.
Seriously, we get into a narrow,
11
00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,120
rigid, solemn state of mind when
we are confronted with defending
12
00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,920
whatever beliefs we have
incorporated into our minds,
13
00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:01,240
whether based in fact or not.
It is a sign of some amount of
14
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,920
maturity and inner growth for
people to begin to recognize
15
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,160
that there are differing views
and ways of addressing issues
16
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:15,080
and that our own viewpoints must
be taken with a grain of salt,
17
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,760
so to speak.
When someone takes up the
18
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,480
religious or the spiritual life,
he begins to examine his each
19
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,480
and every thought, emotion,
feeling, and reaction.
20
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,440
He judges them based on the
rules and guidelines he is
21
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,360
provided by whatever faith or
specific practice he is
22
00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,160
following.
Of course, he cannot control
23
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:43,560
100% of all these things, and
thus spots variances between his
24
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,840
internal reaction and the rules
he wants to adhere to these.
25
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:54,600
In some cases, very small things
become enormous issues, and with
26
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,040
the tendency of taking oneself
too seriously that infects
27
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,440
humans generally, he begins to
tell himself that he is a
28
00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:09,440
failure, that he has not cut out
for the spiritual life, or that
29
00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,280
there is something wrong with
the teaching he is following.
30
00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,440
It is for such instances that
Triorobindo and the mother
31
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,160
counsel the seeker to smile at
the circumstances and just keep
32
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,560
going on.
A dose of cheerfulness combined
33
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,560
with patience and perseverance
is the general cure for such a
34
00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:38,640
state, the mother notes quote.
The more you advance, the more
35
00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:43,080
vigilant must you become.
And the most essential quality
36
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:49,880
is perseverance, endurance, and
a, what shall I call it, a kind
37
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,560
of inner good humor which helps
you not to get discouraged, not
38
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,040
to become sad, and to face all
difficulties with a smile.
39
00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,200
There's an English word which
expresses this very well,
40
00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,560
cheerfulness.
If you can keep this within you,
41
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:13,080
you fight much better, resist
much better in the light these
42
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,600
bad influences which try to
hinder you from progressing.
43
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,640
A smile acts upon difficulties
as the sun upon clouds.
44
00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:27,120
It disperses them.
Someone who knows how to smile
45
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:32,520
in all circumstances is very
close to true equality of soul.
46
00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,000
Generally speaking, man is an
animal who takes himself
47
00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,120
terribly seriously to know how
to smile at oneself in all
48
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,880
circumstances, to smile at one's
sorrows and disillusions,
49
00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,240
ambitions and sufferings,
indignation and revolt.
50
00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,320
What a powerful weapon with
which to overcome oneself.
51
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,560
Learn to smile always and in all
circumstances, to smile at your
52
00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,680
sorrows as well as your joys,
your sufferings as well as your
53
00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,200
hopes.
For in a smile there is a
54
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,440
sovereign power of self mastery.
End Quote.
55
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,000
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Looking from Within,
56
00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:26,200
Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, pages 142
57
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:27,400
to 143.