Events which are painful as well as unsettling may give him hours of anxiety. It is not enough to reach out only for spiritual comfort and peace in these situations; he must also constantly and rigidly analyse the causes of them in himself, the mistakes and weaknesses which led him into them, the lessons he needs to learn from them. He should carry out such self-examination quite calmly and impartially, taking care not to exonerate himself. He has to find out how far he himself has contributed to these situations even if the larger share comes from those offending him. It could be that he needs to understand that there is so much evil in this world and in people that he should keep his eyes open accordingly. He cannot take all people on their face value nor believe their words have much value if contradicted by their actions. He may have to develop critical judgement. Life brings contacts with people who show different and opposite facets of their character. Each type has its positive as well as negative qualities. The aspirant who is growing in sensitivity should keep away from those who show more of the negative than the other, who are unscrupulous, or who are emotionally unstable or physically dissipated. He should form no friendship or association with persons who are not clean, wholesome, honest, and stable. It is better to be alone than to get involved with undesirable characters. Having understood the needful lessons, he must resolve to govern his future conduct accordingly. Then and then only should he seek help and comfort through prayer and meditation. There will then be no need to despair, for these situations will work out in the end. If he adheres to right thinking he must accept them as working for his ultimate good.
-- Notebooks Category 13: Human Experience > Chapter 1 : Situation > # 204
