The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (2 of 16)
Read by the author.
Morgan Scott Peck (1936 -- 2005) was an American psychiatrist and best-selling author, his most notable works being 'The Road
Less Traveled' and 'The People of the Lie'.
His wealth of experience as a psychotherapist led him to some most interesting theories on how to live a more fulfilling life.
These included such areas as Psycho-Spiritual Growth, The Myth of Romantic Love, Evil and an understanding of the differences between 'Legitimate' and 'Illegitimate' Suffering in the face of life's problems.
Through his professional experience, Peck suggested ways in which we could better know ourselves via the overcoming of personal difficulties and the nurturing of our loving
relationships.
M Scott Peck's writings were influenced from a distinctly religious point of view which has caused some controversy - particularly amongst inerrantists (mind you what doesn't?).
None the less, regardless of ones beliefs (or absence of them)
Peck's work carries great value to anyone serious about enriching their life by taking that sometimes very difficult path toward reality.
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Some Quotes by Dr M Scott Peck:
"Love is not a feeling. Love is an action, an activity. . .Genuine
love implies commitment and the exercise of wisdom. . . . love
as the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's
own or another's spiritual growth.....true love is an act of will
that often transcends ephemeral feelings of love or cathexis, it
is correct to say, 'Love is as love does'."
"Mental health is an ongoing process of dedication to reality at
all costs"
"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur
when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or
unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our
discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start
searching for different ways or truer answers."
"Whenever we seek to avoid the responsibility for our own behavior, we do so by attempting to give that responsibility to some other individual or organization or entity. But this means we then give away our power to that entity."
"Life is difficult. This is the great truth, one of the greatest truths—it is a great truth because once we see this truth, we ranscend it."
"We cannot let another person into our hearts or minds unless we empty ourselves. We can truly listen to him or truly hear her only out of emptiness."
"Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering." Carl Jung
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Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference
Robert Frost
