Why Work on Yourself Is Necessary

Most people are satisfied with themselves, although not with their circumstances. So when they are told they must work on their Being, they either do not understand what it means or do not see why they should. Now if a person in the Work is capable of observing themselves sincerely, they cannot remain satisfied with themselves for long in the light of the Work.

From a life-point-of-view you may see no reason to work on yourself. But the Work-point-of-view is different from the life-point-of-view. The Work is about awakening: whereas life puts you to sleep and tries to prevent you from awakening and makes you do things that keep you asleep.

Maurice Nicoll, “Personal Aim" in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 1, p. 173)