With Work, we must decide to work; it will not happen with us. However, decisions can be real only when we are making them consciously. When we are asleep, decisions happen through us. Ordinary life constantly makes our decisions for us, and it will never choose to work. True decisions regarding oneself must come in a state of self-consciousness; decisions regarding the external world must come during objective consciousness. This is what is necessary to ‘do.’ Because we experience only brief flashes of these states, we cannot rely on our ability to make decisions on a regular basis. This will only be self-deception.

How then to work? There is a factor we can use, but we must move through our fear to accomplish this. This factor is commitment. If we have entered responsibly into a commitment, we no longer have to decide; the commitment decides for us. If, for instance, we commit to reading Beelzebub’s Tales aloud once a week, then when the time comes, no decision is necessary. If something from ordinary life comes up (and it will), we simply honor our commitment. This is not as easy as it sounds, however.

Fear of commitment is basic to modern society, as is evidenced by numerous longstanding problems, legal wrangling, loss of family structure, and so on. Many of the popular movements, such as ‘equal rights,’ are based on this fear. Fear is there for a reason, and to work we must use this strong emotion to assist us in attaining our aim. Fear tells us we are at our limits, that we are attempting to do the ‘impossible’ or are venturing into unknown territory. The Work tells us these impossible things are necessary to expand our connection to reality; if we merely do the possible, we are not working.

A good example of this fear of commitment is ‘submission of will’ to a teacher. When people enter the Work, fully convinced of their inability to make it on their own, they readily submit will. After a relatively short time, and perhaps a few small attainments, they have already forgotten this conviction and begin once again to ‘take charge,’ ignoring the direction of their elders. The commitment has not been entered into responsibly, and no remorse is felt when it is betrayed. This is because the ‘decision,’ or commitment, was not made while self-conscious. By capitalizing on the fear, we can create conditions for self-remembering necessary to make a responsible commitment, which would be a decision in the true sense of the word.

Given that the word decision is one of the most common elements in rationalizing our behavior (that happens through us) to show that we can ‘do,’ we must carefully redefine this word, not taking its use for granted. Decision implies an "I" that makes the decision and, like many common words, leads us into sleep by ‘proving’ that we are awake and in control of our manifestations. These types of rationalizations are poison to Work, allowing us to fantasize our abilities instead of facing the reality of our mechanicalness. When seen on this scale, a decision is a huge event, and not something to be entered into lightly (see Notes on the Decision to Work). Special preparation is necessary for us, given that we are privy only to fleeting moments of self-consciousness. We must be ready when these moments come, so as to make commitments with all our spiritualized parts in a responsible manner.

Real commitments are often accompanied by rituals, designed to induce this self-consciousness, such as the rite of marriage or joining a church. In modern society these traditions are often tossed aside in favor of a Las Vegas Elvis-impersonator quickie marriage, which will have long-term effects on future generations. Given the attitude of our current society, we must exercise special care in our commitments and decisions, making sure they are not tempered by the abnormal conditions of our existence. In addition, we must responsibly reassess our commitments on a regular basis to verify we are still in relation with our commitment and not merely dreaming.

If we can keep all this in mind and move through, or with, the fear of commitment, we can create a mechanical factor that will free us from ordinary ‘decisions’ happening through us. Commitment to Work, to participate in movements, to prepare for class, to attend readings--in short, to do as we are told--will be a sure guide, serving as a foundation for our shaky and unsettled being as we ‘do’ the impossible and enter into the unknown territory called ‘reality.’ This would be the beginning of responsible existence.

KSR 8/02/01