Practicing the Work: One Hour of Conscious Effort

It is quite easy to see when a person only has knowledge but not understanding of this Work. If you understand something you can speak of it in different ways; if it is merely knowledge you will speak of it from memory.

Now as regards efforts on being. Everyone must make conscious effort on his being every day. You must practice non-identifying with what life brings you, pleasant or unpleasant, for a certain time every day. Only do it for a certain time—say an hour— and keep conscious and observe yourself carefully.

Make your aim not to object to anything for an hour. This helps you to see what non-identifying means. Afterwards you can relax as regards work and do what you want if you like.

Maurice Nicoll, “Commentary on Effort" in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 1, p. 94)