The Three Natures

How can the world function on a collective level when humans act only out a part of themselves?

“The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living”Socrates

   "The Three Natures" 
     Ink and wash drawing.
     Karen G. James © 2012
All Rights Reserved.

The Dangers of Partial Awareness and How to Move Toward Wholeness

The recognition of three human natures can be traced back 2500 years to Socrates who said that we have three fundamental faculties: intellectual, emotional and instinctual.  Rarely do these interact in a balanced way in the present moment. In fact, it is usual that one of these dominates over the other two. Subsequently, out of habit, we tend to view our life experience through this single filter.

It is necessary to harmonize the intellectual, the emotional, and the sensory faculties in order to emerge from sleep and in order to have even a moment of true consciousness. There is a presence, a larger presence, that permeates every moment.  It takes dedicated practice to establish such an awareness.  

When we act out of only one human faculty we are not in balance, and we are only partially aware.



Insights and points for reflection:

Are you intellectually centered?
Are you emotionally centered?
Are you physically, or instinctively, centered?
What are your strengths?
What are your limitations?