Convincing others
Is only possible when the work we have done on ourselves is obvious to them
July 5th 2014
So you feel driven by a great ideal of fairness and generosity, and you want this ideal to become a reality in the world? That’s very good, but it’s not enough. If you do not adopt the right attitude, you will be bound to come up against certain people around you who do not want to listen, and after a while, seeing that you are not managing to convince them despite the soundness of your arguments and the effort you are making, you will end up discouraged and bitter. So how should you go about it? Quite simply, leave others alone, don’t try to convince them at all costs, but continue to learn and to improve yourself… That way, gradually, whenever you have to spend time with them, you will impress them with your self-control, your lucidity and the clarity of your arguments, and they will feel you have something to teach them.
So long as you desperately try to show people who refuse to listen that they are on the wrong path, not only will you not succeed, but you will sink with them into muddy terrain. Work with the light, and one day when they meet you, before you even open your mouth they will understand that you are in the right.