6830 Mental superiority.... mental arrogance....

May 14, 1957: Book 73

Spiritual superiority must not be confused with spiritual arrogance.... For it is mostly a matter of right knowledge, which probably gives a person the feeling of spiritual superiority, that is, that the person is convinced of the truth of his knowledge.... whereas spiritual arrogance is found where the person lacks right knowledge.... the knowledge of the truth.... Nevertheless, he feels clever, and he represents his own intellect results and denies the knower any power of judgement, which, however, he himself particularly lacks. The knower indeed also represents his knowledge full of conviction, and he is therefore called spiritually arrogant by the ignorant without being so, only it would be impossible to reveal the once recognized truth in order to merely avert the reproach of spiritual arrogance from himself, for this is the characteristic of truth, that it gives the human being complete certainty.... thus spiritual superiority.... which can no longer be taken away from him. And this feeling of security, of standing in the truth, is a divine gift, a gift of the spirit, which again must not be confused with keen intellect. It is true that this difference cannot be made comprehensible to ignorant people, which is why it cannot be argued with words either. But there is a characteristic for each of the terms: spiritual superiority and spiritual arrogance.... The former presupposes an unconditional desire for truth and spiritual striving, whereas the latter is always a sign that the human being is not serious about attaining the truth but only about being right, for the person who seriously demands and strives for truth would very soon come to the same result, which now gives him spiritual 'superiority' instead of spiritual 'arrogance'. For the human being then becomes small and humble in the realization of pure truth.... which, however, does not mean that he does not eagerly and convincingly represent this recognized truth.... And every person who thinks himself clever and wise should seriously examine himself as to whether he has the desire to become 'knowledgeable' at all, or whether he is content with what he has learned by chance or what he has puzzled out for himself intellectually without having first asked God for enlightenment of thought.... He should always remind himself that error always goes hand in hand with truth and that human intellect alone is not sufficient for examination but that God Himself must be called upon for help. Furthermore, he should examine himself to see whether it is only a spirit of contradiction that moves him to reject a thought system other than his own.... Then he must be addressed as "spiritually arrogant", whereas spiritual superiority presupposes deepest attachment to God, unconditional submission to His will.... a 'humility', therefore, which only earns him truthful knowledge. But such knowledge will make the human being immensely happy and give him such a secure feeling which will also let him recognize error brightly and clearly. And if he did not have this feeling of spiritual superiority then he would not be able to stand up for knowledge with conviction either, he would very quickly be drowned out by the adversary, he would remain silent where speech is required and be unsuitable as a representative of truth on earth.... He must therefore rather accept the reproach of 'spiritual arrogance', he must not tolerantly accept the error he has recognized.... because then he would not be a fighter for the lord, who should fight with the sword of the mouth against those who bring error into the world and spread it. For having received the truth also obliges one to represent it.... But anyone who advocates error will never be able to claim to have attained it after a heartfelt desire for truth. And thus it would be easy for every person to recognize where truth and where error is.... if only he honestly answers the question for himself as to whether he has seriously sought the truth.... But the spiritually arrogant person is so convinced of his intellectual knowledge and not willing to surrender any of it.... And therefore he never asks himself this question, and therefore he will also hardly arrive at the truth....

Amen

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