The Individual

Individuality and Personality. What the Self really is. What is the Individual which manifests the Power of the Self. The Master in the Brain.

Individuality and Personality. What the Self really is. What the Individual is that expresses the Power of the Self. The Master in the Brain.

In our last lesson we stated that we considered the “Secret of Success” to consist principally of the Free Expression of the Individual—the “I.” But before you will be able to apply this idea successfully, you must first awaken to a realization of what the Individual—the “I” within you—really is. This statement may appear ridiculous at first to many of you, but it will pay you to acquaint yourself fully with the idea behind it, for upon the true realization of “I” comes Power.

In our last lesson, we said that the “Secret of Success” lies mainly in the free expression of the individual, the “I.” But before you can apply this idea successfully, you must first realize what the individual, the “I” within you, really is. This statement may seem ridiculous to many of you at first. But it will be worth your while to fully understand the idea behind it, because true realization of “I” brings power.

If you will stop and take stock of yourself, you will find that you are a more complex being than you had at first considered yourself to be. In the first place there is the “I,” which is the Real Self or the Individual, and there is the “Me,” which is something attached to and belonging to the “I”—the Personality. For proof of this, let the “I” take stock of the “Me,” and it will find that the latter consists of three phases or principles, i. e. (1) the Physical Body; (2) The Vital Energy; (3) The Mind. Many people are in the habit of regarding their bodies as the “I” part of them, but a little consideration will show them that the body is but a material covering, or machine through which and by means of which the “I” is able to manifest itself. A little thought will show that one may be vividly conscious of the “I Am” part of himself while totally oblivious of the presence of the physical body. This being so, it follows that the “I” is independent of the body, and that the latter falls into the “Me” classification. The physical body may exist after the “I” has left it—the dead body is not the “I.” The physical body is composed of countless particles which are changing places every moment of our lives—our body of today is entirely different from our body of a year ago.

If you stop and take stock of yourself, you will find that you are more complex than you first thought. First, there is the “I,” which is the Real Self or the Individual. Then there is the “Me,” which is attached to and belongs to the “I.” The “Me” is the Personality. To see proof of this, let the “I” take stock of the “Me.” It will find that the “Me” consists of three phases or principles: (1) the Physical Body, (2) the Vital Energy, and (3) the Mind. Many people are in the habit of thinking of their bodies as the “I” part of themselves. But a little thought will show them that the body is only a material covering or a machine. It is through the body that the “I” can express itself. A little thought will show that you can be vividly aware of the “I Am” part of yourself while completely unaware of your physical body. Since this is so, the “I” must be independent of the body. The body therefore belongs in the “Me” category. The physical body may exist after the “I” has left it. The dead body is not the “I.” The physical body is made up of countless particles that change places every moment of our lives. Our body today is entirely different from our body a year ago.

Then comes the second principle of the “Me”—the Vital Energy, or what many call Life. This is seen to be independent of the body, which it energizes, but it, too, is transitory and changeable, and readily may be seen to be but a something used to animate and energize the body—an instrument of the “I,” and therefore a principle of the “Me”. What, then, is left to the “I” to examine and determine its nature? The answer that comes naturally to the lips is, “The Mind, by which I know the truth of what you have just said.” But, stop a moment, you have said, speaking of the mind, “by which I know”—have you not, in saying this, acknowledged the mind to be a something through which the “I” acts? Think a moment—is the mind you? You are aware that your mental states change—your emotions vary—your feelings differ from time to time—your very ideas and thoughts are inconsistent and are subject to outside influences, or else are molded and governed by that which you call “I”, or your Real Self. Then there must be something behind Mental States, Ideas, Feelings, Thoughts, etc., which is superior to them and which “knows” them just as one knows a thing apart from itself but which it uses. You say “I” feel; “I” think; “I” believe; “I” know; “I” will; etc. , etc. Now which is the Real Self? The Mental States just mentioned or the “I” which is the subject or Real Cause of the mental phenomena? It is not the Mind that knows, but the “I” which uses the Mind in order to know. This may seem a little abstruse to you if you have never been made a study of the subject, but think it over a little and the idea will clearly define itself in your mind.

Next comes the second principle of the “Me”: Vital Energy, or what many call Life. It is independent of the body, which it energizes. But Vital Energy, too, is temporary and changeable. It is easy to see that it is merely something used to give life and energy to the body. It is an instrument of the “I” and therefore a principle of the “Me”. What, then, is left for the “I” to examine and identify? The natural answer is, “The Mind, by which I know the truth of what you have just said.” But stop a moment. You have said of the mind, “by which I know.” Haven’t you acknowledged that the mind is something through which the “I” acts? Think for a moment. Is the mind you? You know that your mental states change, your emotions vary, and your feelings differ from time to time. Even your ideas and thoughts are inconsistent and subject to outside influences. Or else they are shaped and governed by what you call “I”, or your Real Self. There must, then, be something behind Mental States, Ideas, Feelings, Thoughts, and so on. It must be superior to them and “know” them as one knows something separate from oneself, but uses. You say “I” feel, “I” think, “I” believe, “I” know, “I” will, and so on. Now, which is the Real Self? Is it the Mental States just mentioned, or the “I” that is the subject or Real Cause of these mental phenomena? It is not the Mind that knows, but the “I” that uses the Mind to know. This may seem a little difficult to understand if you have never studied the subject. But think it over a little, and the idea will become clear in your mind.

We are not telling you these things merely to give you an idea of metaphysics, philosophy, or psychology—there are many books that go into these matters at length and in detail—so it is not for that reason. The real reason is that with a realization of the “I” or Real Self, comes a sense of Power that will manifest through you and make you strong. The awakening to a realization of the “I”, in its clearness and vividness, will cause you to feel a sense of Being and Power that you have never before known. Before you can express Individuality, you must realize that you are an Individual. And you must be aware of this “I” within you before you can realize that you are an Individual.

We are not telling you these things merely to introduce you to metaphysics, philosophy, or psychology. Many books explore those subjects at length and in detail. The real reason is that recognizing the “I” or Real Self brings a sense of Power. This Power will show itself through you and make you strong. When you become clearly and vividly aware of the “I”, you will feel a sense of Being and Power you have never known before. Before you can express Individuality, you must realize that you are an Individual. And before you can realize that you are an Individual, you must be aware of the “I” within you.

The “Me” side of you is what is called Personality, to the outer appearance of yourself. Your Personality is made up of countless characteristics, traits, habits, thoughts, expressions and motions—it is a bunch of peculiarities and personal traits that you have been thinking was the real “I” all this time. But it is not. Do you know what the idea of Personality arose from? Let us tell you. Turn to the pages of any good dictionary, and you will see that the word originated from the Latin word “Persona”, meaning “a mask used by actors in ancient times”, and which the word in turn was derived from two other words, “sonare,” meaning to “sound,” and “per,” meaning “through,” the two words combined meaning “to sound through”—the idea being that the voice of the actor sounded through the mask of the assumed personality or character. Webster gives the following as one of the meanings of “Person,” even to this day: “A character or part, as in a play; an assumed character.” So then, Personality means the part you are playing in the Great Play of Life, on the Stage of the Universe. The real Individual concealed behind the mask of Personality is you—the Real Self—the “I”—that part of you which you are conscious when you say “I am,” which is your assertion of existence and latent power. “Individual” means something that cannot be divided or subtracted from—something that cannot be injured or hurt by outside forces—something real. And you are an Individual—a Real Self—an “I”—Something endowed with Life, Mind, and Power, to use, as you will. A poet named Orr wrote:

The “Me” side of you is called Personality. It is your outward appearance. Your Personality consists of countless characteristics, traits, habits, thoughts, expressions, and movements. It is a collection of peculiarities and personal traits that you have always thought were the real “I.” But they are not. Do you know where the idea of Personality came from? Let us tell you. Look in any good dictionary, and you will see that the word comes from the Latin word “Persona.” It means “a mask used by actors in ancient times.” That word, in turn, came from two other words, “sonare,” meaning “to sound,” and “per,” meaning “through.” Together, they mean “to sound through.” The idea is that the actor’s voice sounded through the mask of the assumed personality or character. Even today, Webster gives one meaning of “Person” as: “A character or part, as in a play; an assumed character.” So Personality means the part you are playing in the Great Play of Life, on the Stage of the Universe. The real Individual hidden behind the mask of Personality is you. It is the Real Self, the “I,” the part of you that you are aware of when you say “I am.” Those words assert your existence and latent power. “Individual” means something that cannot be divided or diminished, something that outside forces cannot injure or hurt, something real. And you are an Individual, a Real Self, an “I,” Something endowed with Life, Mind, and Power to use as you will. A poet named Orr wrote: