Reacting (Acting Out) from Ego Instead of Responding from Being
“Acting out” in the context of the Diamond Approach refers to the physical or behavioral expression of internal emotions or states, often in a destructive or harmful manner. This concept is explored in depth in various chapters of the books “The Pearl Beyond Price,” “Facets of Unity,” “The Inner Journey Home,” and “The Unfolding Now.”
In this approach, acting out is often associated with negative emotions like hatred or anger. While acting out these emotions can lead to destructive behavior, the Diamond Approach emphasizes that merely feeling these emotions isn’t inherently destructive. The key is to experience these emotions without resorting to harmful actions.
The transformation of anger into strength, for instance, is not achieved through verbalization or acting out, but by staying with the energetic aspect of the emotion. This process indicates that the energetic aspect of anger is already that of the Strength Essence.
The Diamond Approach also emphasizes the development of faith in oneself and in human nature. This faith allows for the possibility that individuals can act kindly and selflessly, even if they don’t always do so. It acknowledges that every human being has an essential nature, even if it’s buried beneath ignorance or cynicism.
The process of realization in the Diamond Approach often involves resistance due to various fears and illusions. Students are encouraged to experience their fears and attachments without acting them out. For example, a student feeling a desire for autonomy might feel inclined to make drastic changes in their life, like divorcing their spouse or quitting their job. However, these inclinations should be explored and understood objectively to avoid acting out on an inappropriate level.
In the Diamond Approach, it’s not necessary to act out or suppress feelings. Instead, the focus is on allowing the energy within the emotion to change the individual. This process leads to the realization of a personal life of nonattachment without renunciation, where nothing has to be excluded.
It is expected that various manifestations of the Work—tasks, aims, regulations, whatever—will produce certain reactions in you. Whatever the reactions are, they are to be understood and not acted out. Otherwise you are taking the side of your false personality against your essence. I do not mean that you should condemn or judge your reactions. No. You need to understand them. It is part of the Work to produce these reactions so you have a chance to look at them and study them. The Work is not doing something to you or for you. The Work is the way for you to be more yourself. The principles, ideas, concepts, and formulations of the Work come from the Essence that you are trying to actualize. – Diamond Heart Book One: Elements of the Real in Man, Ch. 14