The Kingdom of Heaven Taken by Force: Inner Effort in the Work

Violence on oneself, on one's violence, requires the highest possible insight into what one is. Because if one works consciously on oneself in regard to one's violence, one then can see that one can only get to a higher level through force—and all force is gained only by working against a feature in oneself.

Also Ouspensky said once: "You will gain most force by working on your Chief Feature." To work on anything in oneself that is a habit and so mechanical gives some force. Notice that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force and understand that force is made through not going with your mechanical self. Unless you have an aim, to make force by working against some mechanical or habitual side of yourself is not enough. One must work on oneself, deny oneself, so that the force goes into one's aim.

Maurice Nicoll, “Further Note on Violence” in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 3, p. 1217)