“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Now: the overly conscientious self is opinionated, closed-minded, pedantic. It believes it is right.

It is possible to be opinionated at times, closed-minded, and pedantic, in good normal behavior—but when certain characteristics group together, then you have the formation of an overly-conscientious self, which acts in a repetitive manner, always showing these fairly rigid characteristics.

Now: you panic yourself. What body would not be panicked by some of your worries and thoughts? Again, I have covered this. If optimism seems to be such a simple-minded, idiotic attribute, then listen. It is indeed foolish enough to take it for granted—at least part way (and with irony)—that everything—All That Is, the important things—will somehow work out all right. The foolish body, not realizing that such a philosophy is a food for idiots, replenishes itself for good activities, and in an animal fashion anticipates comfort and exuberance.

Such an optimist will of course not be blind, and he will see that there are indeed many blemishes in the world; but his overall faith not only sustains him, but because of his own state of mind his creativity blossoms to whatever degree he has it. And he manages to wipe away a few of those blights.

The pessimists insist that nothing will work out right in the everyday world, and that is where you live. Illness will increase. Poverty is certain, depressions, and old age with the worst of imagined terrors. Of course, his body does not realize that the pessimist’s views are the most intelligent, proper, sane and reasonable, and so it falls ill because the mind tells the body it has nothing to look forward to.

I know the extent of your creative abilities. There were occasions in the past when these were applied, and Ruburt improved considerably. His improvements of late have been largely the result of work in Framework 1. They have been steady since he began walking, but slow. Imagining a trip to Florida, for example, or anyplace he wants, planning for it, is a far more effective method of therapy than any worry, for such plans activate body and mind.

The resolutions I gave you would automatically seep through to the overly conscientious selves if you kept them in mind, and resolved to live by them. Ruburt does need some kind of class or such activity, but he has grown frightened. You have not encouraged him. He can see people more when he is better, but you must indeed act at least mentally as if.