Psychological dependence on other people is a form of slavery. If our manner of thinking, feeling, and acting depends on the thoughts, feelings, and actions of people who interact with us, then we are slaves.
If we get angry when somebody insults us, we’re a slave. If we feel happy when someone compliments us, we’re still a slave. If we’re really insecure and worry too much what other people think, we’re a slave.
If we want to dominate the subconscious, we need to be free. Anyone who depends on the behavior of others will not be able to dominate their subconscious. Our conduct must be our own and must not depend on anyone. Our thoughts, feelings, and actions must flow independently from the inside to the outside.
The worst challenges and difficulties of life offer us the best opportunities for inner discovery and self-observation. In difficult situations we have huge opportunities to study all our impulses: our thoughts, sentiments, actions, our reactions, decisions, etc.
Interaction is a full-length mirror in which we can see ourselves as we are and recognize psychological problems that need work. If we are properly attentive at each moment we can discover hidden aspects of our psyche. They flourish and leap out when we least expect it.
People complain because of the difficulties that interaction offers them. They don’t realize that those difficulties are precisely providing them with the necessary opportunities for their psychological work. If we really want to dominate the subconscious then we have to observe our interactions with other people, and study all forms of psychological slavery.
We’ll soon realize there are 2 types of conduct:
- The first type of conduct comes from the outside and goes towards the inside. This is the result of psychological slavery and is produced by reactions of our subconscious.
- The second type of conduct flows from the inside towards the outside. This is of the one who is no longer a slave, one who no longer depends on the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others. That type of conduct is independent and comes from our consciousness.
When we master and eliminate psychological slavery we’ll produce radical transformations in our behavior. We’ll no longer get hurt or offended when someone insults us. We’ll no longer get embarrassed or feel insecure when we’re mocked or laughed at by others. We’ll no longer be scared or intimidated by other people’s short fuse or temper. We’ll no longer be controlled by other people and be free to think, feel, and act however we want.