________________
Obstacles
203
we are not intelligent enough to comprehend the other's views in his very own context and development. It further tells us that we permit harmful emotions to disturb our joy of life.
Changed attitude:
Agree to disagree Others need to accept our views as little as we want to be forced to accept theirs.
To recognize diverging positions does not mean to adopt them, to think they are good, or to promote them. It only means to understand that someone else's history prompted him to come to different conclusions than we did.
Insulting someone or feeling insulted because of a difference in opinion only demonstrates an inability to interact effectively with others.
Assenting to an insult and to permit the respective bad feelings to mar our joy of life, is equally unintelligent.
Difficulties One essential task of our material existence is to train our abilities and talents by testing them with obstacles and opposi
tion.
Difficulties are hurdles we need to overcome. They show us with greatest possible precision which ones of our current ideas, presumptions and ideals do limit our life, which ones allow free, open expansion, and how much energy we need to reach objectives.