You need to pass through the entire spectrum of living. You need to experience maddening anger. You need to experience the rising force of lust. You need to experience the terrible temptation to be dishonest. You need to go through all of this without suppressing it, without being equivocal about it, without giving it a false name. You need to call dishonesty as dishonesty, lust as lust, anger as anger, shame as shame, and yet stand firm.
And when you are through it, you must be able to laugh at it. And even more wonderful if, even in the middle of it, you can laugh at it. Blessed is that one who can point at himself, saying, “You know what, I was such an idiot!” and absolutely blessed is the one, who can say, “You know what, I am an idiot!”
If you cannot say, “I am an idiot,” at least say, “I was an idiot.” Even that is alright.
