The Source of Aim: From Mechanical Divisions to Higher Attention

Aim can come from right or wrong places in us. Aim may be right and come from a wrong place, and aim may be wrong and yet come from a right place. In order to understand what this means, we have to turn back to centers and parts of centers and also speak a little about Attention once more.

Aim comes from a wrong place when it comes from small mechanical divisions of centers, where attention is at a minimum or passes from one trifle to another—where, in fact, there is zero-attention, or only a number of separate small attentions, and no comprehensive attention. Aim cannot come from these small scattered attentions, which belong to mechanical divisions of centers. It must be formed and must come from higher divisions where the quality of attention is different. Aim must not come and go. It must belong to you.

Maurice Nicoll, “The Place of Aim” in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 1, p. 177-178)