Quotes From "Falling Upward: A Spirituality For The Two Halves Of Life" By Richard Rohr

Those who are not true leaders or elders will just affirm people at their own immature level, and of course immature people will love them and elect them for being equally immature. You can fill in the names here with your own political disaster story. But just remember, there is a symbiosis between immature groups and immature leaders, I am afraid, which is why both Plato and Jefferson said democracy was not really the best form of government. It is the safest. A truly wise monarch would probably be the most effective at getting things done. Richard Rohr

The human ego prefers anything, just about anything, to falling, or changing, or dying. The ego is that part of you that loves the status quo — even when it's not working. It attaches to past and present and fears the future. Richard Rohr

If we seek spiritual heroism ourselves, the old ego is just back in control under a new name. There would not really be any change at all, but only disguise, just bogus self-improvement on our own terms. Richard Rohr

People who know how to creatively break the rules also know why the rules were there in the first place. Richard Rohr

It is no surprise that the first and always unwelcome message of male initiation rites is LIFE — IS — HARD. Richard Rohr

When we fail we are merely joining the great parade of humanity that has walked ahead of us and will follow after us. Richard Rohr

Denial of our pattern of failure seems to be a kind of practical atheism or chosen ignorance among many believers and clergy. Richard Rohr

God seems to be about turning our loves around and using them toward the great love that is their true object. Richard Rohr

Once you see that your skin and your gift are two sides of the same coin, you can never forget it. It preserves religion from any arrogance and denial. Richard Rohr

When you get your, ' Who am I?', question right, all of your, ' What should I do?' questions tend to take care of themselves Richard Rohr

In the second half of life, people have less power to infatuate you. But they also have much less power to control you or hurt you. Richard Rohr

I do not think you should get rid of your sin until you have learned what it has to teach you. Richard Rohr

The cross solved our problem by first revealing our real problem, our universal pattern of scapegoating and sacrificing others. The cross exposes forever the scene of our crime. Richard Rohr

Sin happens whenever we refuse to keep growing. Richard Rohr

I have prayed for years for one good humiliation a day, and then, I must watch my reaction to it. I have no other way of spotting both my denied shadow self and my idealized persona. Richard Rohr

The shape of evil is much more superficiality and blindness than the usual list of hot sins. God hides, and is found, precisely in the depths of everything. Richard Rohr

If change and growth are not programmed into your spirituality, if there are not serious warnings about the blinding nature of fear and fanaticism, your religion will always end up worshiping the status quo and protecting your present ego position and personal advantage as if it were God. Richard Rohr

Often it takes outer authority to send us on the path to our own inner authority. Richard Rohr

I would wonder if you could be a hero or heroine if you did not live in deep time, that is, Past, present, and future all at once. Richard Rohr

Self-help courses will only help you if they teach you to pay attention to life itself. Richard Rohr

Church practice has been more influenced by Plato than by Jesus. We invariably prefer the universal synthesis, the answer that settles all the dust and resolves every question even when it is not entirely true over the mercy and grace of God. Richard Rohr

You ironically have to have a very strong ego structure to let go of your ego. You need to struggle with the rules more than a bit before you throw them out. You only internalize values by butting up against external values for a while. Richard Rohr

Whatever good, true, or perfect things we can say about humanity or creation, we can say of God exponentially. God is the beauty of creation and humanity multiplied to the infinite power. Richard Rohr

We are usually on bended knee before laws or angrily reacting against them, both immature responses. Richard Rohr

Without law in some form, and, also, without butting up against that law, we cannot move forward easily or naturally. We have to have something hard and half-good to rebel against. Richard Rohr

Those who are not true leaders will just affirm people at their own immature level. Richard Rohr

The human art form is in uniting fruitful activity with a contemplative stance, not one or the other, but always both at the same time. Richard Rohr

Most people confuse their life situation with their actual life, which is an underlying flow beneath the everyday events. Richard Rohr

If this inner and critical voice has kept you safe for many years as your inner voice of authority, you may end up not being able to hear the real voice of God. Richard Rohr

The ego hates losing — even to God. Richard Rohr

Much of the work of midlife is to tell the difference between those who are dealing with their issues through you and those who are really dealing with you. Richard Rohr