The Treachery Of Specialness

[Lightkeeper]

From A Course In Miracles

Comparison must be an ego device, for love makes none. Specialness always makes comparisons. It is established by a lack seen in another, and maintained by searching for, and keeping clear in sight, all lacks it can perceive. This does it seek, and this it looks upon. And always who it thus diminishes would be your savior, and you not chosen to make of him a tiny measure of your specialness instead. Against the littleness you see in him you stand as tall and stately, clean and honest, pure and unsullied, by comparison with what you see. Nor do you understand it is yourself that you diminish thus.

Specialness is the seal of treachery upon the gift of love.

What do you think? Do you make comparisons? Can making comparisons keep you from your truth?

If we stopped thinking we were special, would we have personal peace, would there be world peace?

[Chippingaway]

If it were to be looked at from another angle specialness does god no favor either.

If you are a believer in creation then it makes one of his works better then another meaning by default, one was not so good. If you believe god is what manifests as creation then again, no favor to god to think one part of it is better then another.

What is different is different, not better, not worse, just apparent variation... in the theme of livingness all have the same inherent value.

Comparisons need not devalue one thing over another in a matter of what is fitting to time and place. I would not put a cowpie on my dinner plate but it would do wonderful in the orchard from where i would put a peach pie on my plate ( and on yours)

[Tonyamendola]

Completely agree with this although having expereinced it thats no suprise


God has no favourite

Love Loves in absolute equality

What God creates is perfect

Perfect has no levels

[metis]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

What do you think? Do you make comparisons? Can making comparisons keep you from your truth?

Yes, and I don't think there's an intrinsic problem with making comparisons. If we shop, don't we make comparisons? Even looking for a church or synagogue we may want to attend? Making comparisons may actually help to establish the "truth" (whatever that is?) at times. It's what we do with comparisons that will be more telling.

If we stopped thinking we were special, would we have personal peace, would there be world peace?

My 10 year old granddaughter reads Hebrew far better than I do, so as compared to me in that area, she's more "special". I observe the Sabbath (Friday sun-down to Saturday sun-down), so that day is "special" to me and to a great many Jews, but that doesn't mean that other days of the week are unimportant.

My point is that it's natural and OK, at least to a point, to see certain people, including ourselves at times, as being "special", but if we do so at the expense of others, then it may well become quite destructive.

[Lightkeeper]

I have an aquaintance who recently told me she thinks her daughter is a child of God. This woman has made a career of pointing out to everyone how special her children are.

As a side note my reply to her was we are all children of God (if anyone is).

Anyway, I think this woman diminishes her children and herself by trying to categorize them.

[Luguber]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

From A Course In Miracles

Would it be possible to translate this quote into, for example, English?

What do you think? Do you make comparisons?

All the time. Today is cooler than yesterday, and it rains more.

Can making comparisons keep you from your truth?

I agree that my truth is subjective, and in some cases different from other persons' truth. But on rain, my truth isn't hidden from me, and moreover tends to coincide with the truth of quite a few other persons.

If we stopped thinking we were special, would we have personal peace, would there be world peace?

Everybody is special. I can't be mistaken for anybody else, nor can you. But how that could have an impact on any personal peace or war of mine, whatever that may mean, is beyond me. And I'm not enough of an optimist to speculate on world peace, ever.

[shaw-n]

Really we are all special, if one means important and of value and loved and necessary in the general scheme of things.
Again, english is interesting as there are many possible ways of defining most words and that will change the meaning for each reader unless it is clearly defined .
From my perspective I see us all as integral in life, as each cell in my body is integral to my life (as above, so below, as below, so above) and therefore "special", but not in the sense of being better or more deserving. Such arbitrary ways of labeling and profiling are very counterproductive to developing a better quality of life.
Sometimes great things and deeds have been accomplished by those individuals who have been deemed to be "ordinary" or "common", so it is not always the "special" ones who do great things.

[Lightkeeper]

Originally Posted by Luguber

Would it be possible to translate this quote into, for example, English?


All the time. Today is cooler than yesterday, and it rains more.


I agree that my truth is subjective, and in some cases different from other persons' truth. But on rain, my truth isn't hidden from me, and moreover tends to coincide with the truth of quite a few other persons.


Everybody is special. I can't be mistaken for anybody else, nor can you. But how that could have an impact on any personal peace or war of mine, whatever that may mean, is beyond me. And I'm not enough of an optimist to speculate on world peace, ever.

A simple translation of the quote would be "labeling is limiting". When we compare we suggest a lacking.

Why compare a rainy day to a sunny day? We need them both to survive.

It's the ego that wants us to feel special (better than others in some way).

[Tonyamendola]

To understand what is said above you have to understand ACIM as a whole

Specialness is seeing anything other than the sons of God before you

For example a special relationship would have you believe your son is your son

If we are the sons of God you son is in fact your brother and his only Father is God

By seeing him as my son rather than what he is "Gods Son" I diminish him because my thoughts have an effect on what appears in this World

Because we are all ONE, The same, what I see the other as I also see myself as
Therefore If I see my son then I accept that both he and I are born of a body into a body that will die

If I see him as a son of God he is a Perfect being of Love for eternity


Anyway my Mum is very pleased to be my brother and a son of God rather than plain old Mum


We are either all the children of God, perfectly equal or we are what we make of ourselves

The false image

Much as has been found from the Bible, you cant take a few lines from ACIM and make sense of it - Its meaning is in the whole package

Lastly it was written in this way not to be complicated but to prevent the statements from being twisted