Sooner or later every good man who has learned to love and perhaps to serve something worthy in the world reaches a crisis point. He has to start facing up to the only thing that now stands between him and true selfless love. This is himself, the final residual emotional entity which he overlooked and unconsciously assumed was loving or doing the loving. The self itself - representing all that lives in him apart from love - must now be consciously dissolved. This is done by using his authentic being to observe and understand his emotional self. It means turning his attention inward instead of allowing it to be driven outward. For a long, long time the man must live out of character instead of out of his nature. This is extremely difficult to do as it entails going against much that is psychologically and emotionally normal in himself and society. To all other men living normal lives his behaviour and actions at this time will seem to be unnatural and therefore questionable. Furthermore, while the struggle is in progress the man's ability to love may seem to the world to be doubtful or self-centered.
- Barry Long