The Beetles and Mice Within

The Work begins by teaching you very earnestly that there are many 'I's in yourself. Unless you can bear to realize this, you cannot do this Work beyond a certain point. You cannot separate from yourself and if this is the case you cannot really grasp the Work. Everything will remain personal. You will be offended.

Suppose, for instance, you always identify with the 'I's that are against this Work. Then you will suffer in a manner that is quite useless. Have you ever really observed and got to know the negative 'I's that say all sorts of things and often blaspheme this Work? Are you going to say 'I' to them? All sorts and kinds of small ignorant 'I's try to eat us all day long. Do you know what inner separation means? If not, then these small, negative, ignorant, narrow, stupid 'I's will eat your Work force like a lot of beetles and mice and rats every day.

Maurice Nicoll, “Self-Observation" in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 2, p. 440)