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About this quote

What does it mean?
People strive to gain something or avoid something, but without knowledge they don’t know what.
In plain terms
Effort comes from wanting gains or avoiding losses, but people often don’t know what those are.
What can you take from it?
Motivation exists but often lacks clarity on what to pursue or avoid.

Where it applies

  • career choice
  • habit change
  • goal setting

Putting it to work

  • clarify goals
  • assess fears

Questions to consider

  • What are you trying to avoid?
  • What do you want to gain?

Another view

It assumes knowledge alone solves the lack of direction.

More from P. D. Ouspensky

  1. Generally speaking, the significance of the indirect results may very often be of more importance than the significance of direct ones. And since we are able t…

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  3. Philosophy is based on speculation, on logic, on thought, on the synthesis of what we know and on the analysis of what we do not know. Philosophy must include …

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