The term "universal brotherhood" is idealistic but vague, pleasant-sounding but windy. An attempt to form a society whose main object was to become the nucleus of a universal brotherhood was made by the Theosophists, and by less-known cults. Moreover, they added constant talk about "the service of humanity" to their other prattle. Not only did all such groups end in failure to actualize their ideal and in inability to influence the remainder of mankind, but most ended in bitter disputes, harsh quarrels, and internal fission. There are several different factors behind such failures. The two which concern us here are first, lack of any practical workable method to implement the ideal, and second, belief in the delusion that a group can do better what only an individual can do for himself. This is where philosophy shows its superiority. In reference to the first of these factors, it teaches us exactly what we can do with our bodies, our feelings, our thoughts, and our intuitions to bridge the wide gap between ideals and their actualization. In reference to the second factor, it proves that to practise individualism, self-reliance, is essential to real progress.
-- Notebooks Category 16: The Sensitives > Chapter 8 : Christian Science, Other Spiritual Movements > # 48
