Facing Criticism with the Observing I

It is a remarkable fact that even after many years we do not really observe ourselves. Self-observation is turning the other way round from life. It is the employment of a new sense, an inner sense, called Observing I, which looks inwards at the kind of person one is. For example, if you are accused of anything, you will tend to justify yourself. You will not look inside—and this is exactly why one of the things that the Work teaches us is observation of self-justifying and not identifying with it.

Being criticized is extremely difficult to meet. The slightest negative criticism, especially from your nearest and dearest, will spoil your day. This means that we simply hate to be put in the wrong and simply hate to think that there is anything wrong with us. Now if you have enlarged your consciousness through self-observation you will not be so sensitive of criticism because you will already know practically that you are not perfect—a great step.

Maurice Nicoll, "What It Means to Work on Oneself" in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 4, p. 1280-81)