Steve Pavlina's PDSP circa 1850

[Fullcrum]

Yes, Steve's ideas have been around for a long time.

This is my understanding when I read Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

One of my favorite books of all time.

The dense language and potent emotionally relevant imagery always sends shivers down my spine, even though many others find the language dense.

Anyway, I was reminded of the universal nature of Steve's personal development rules when reading this. The Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale commits adultery with the main character Hester Prynne before the story even begins. The novel describes in detail the different ways they both deal with this issue.

Hester enters public ignominy for her act. Rather than allowing this to destroy her state of mind, her tarnished social identity paves the way for an expression of her true core identity. Through good works (comforting the sick, helping others, etc.) she transcends others' judgment of her until the "scarlet letter" is seen in a positive light.

Dimmesdale does it a little differently. He strengthens his outer persona and distances himself from his core. Rather than admit his guilt to the world, he keeps it in and tries to absolve himself by "churning water", doing Christian penances and fasting, all the while denying what he truly needs to do: admit his "wrong actions" freely to the world. He buries himself in the clergy and inspires and rouses others to believe that he is the holiest among them. This, understandably increases his sense of despair, and his health is on the edge of slipping near the climax of the novel.

FUNDAMENTALLY: His core desires truth. His inner being is aligned with truth (otherwise he would feel no compunction about keeping his sin a secret), but he lacks the courage to fully align his external reality with his inner one, and it literally kills him. He has the truth down but lacks the love and power. His lack of love disconnects him from authentically communicating with others. His lack of power locks him in indecision and allows an "energy vampire", Roger Chillingworth in this novel, to "pluck at his heartstrings" until he crumbles. Dimmesdale, with the help of Hester, finally musters up the courage to tell the world his secret. Then he dies, relieved. A generation before psychology became an established science, Hawthorne wrote a devilishly accurate human allegory.

I used to be a great fan of nonfiction. I still am. Although nonfiction can go into greater specific detail and outline succinctly principles of self-development, it cannot go as deep into the holistic human being as fiction can. Nonfiction cannot outline with such depth and reverence the inner workings of the humanity as fiction can. For those of you who know about, consider the Ringing Cedars (Anastasia) Series.

Fiction is not promoted enough in personal development. Great literary works remain in the confines of an academia more concerned with analyzing themes and literary devices than personal growth. For all the self-help junkies out there, go read some great fiction now and see how it will enrich your understanding of what it means to grow as a conscious being.

[amyor]

I was in an ethics lecture going over Plato's Republic and my notes looked like this: -brackets are my thoughts.

A disharmony in the psyche, in the tripartite division of the soul is what leads to immorality - according to Plato.
1 Reason (Truth!)
2 Spirit (Power!)
3 Appetite/Desire (Love!)

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I got very excited haha.