The Chief Predator
Chief Feature
The following essay, written by Keith Buzzell, many years ago was forwarded to us by Stephen Aronson. It is included here with the permission of his wife, Marlena. Stephen noted that, outside of Ouspensky’s account of Chief Feature in his book, In Search of the Miraculous, it represented the only discussion of this topic he had ever found.
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Chief Feature is another of those extremely dense notions spoken of by Mr. Gurdjieff but often left unapproached—considered by many work people to be somehow understood “simply” by saying the words and reflecting a presumption of understanding and yet simultaneously held at a distance because of its arcane interior. The following are a few subjective impressions that may be useful starting points in giving this notion more dimension.
1. Chief Feature is often spoken of as if it were a primordial weakness, a dark, dense and “perverse” part of our nature that stands always in our way. Seen in this way it always “spoils” because it steals, lies, presumes. to protect and strengthen our egoism. And it certainly can be this. But Chief Feature is, simultaneously and paradoxically, our Chief Strength. When looked at this way we must try to see the “purity” of it, the unique “gift” it surely is. It is, among other things, our fundamental expressive form into life.
2. Becoming impartial, slowly and with patience, to this ‘core” of our “impression into life” is a Reasonable goal.
3. Most of us have no sense of humor when it comes to any consideration of Chief Feature. We become serious and austere, “puddleglumish’ in our inner attitude. This is no help. We are, uniquely, what we are. There are times … especially the serious times … when we must be able to smile, even laugh uproariously, at the inventiveness of this Feature.
4. There is “something” in us that can see the image of the clown, straining to lift its knees together, off the ground … and seeing the ridiculousness of it … laugh, laugh in compassion, laugh in gentleness, laugh in recognizing that we are all “like that”.
5. When we first glimpse Chief Feature it is often like a pendulum … stuck at one end of its natural swing. It can be our means of “balancing”, but only when it is allowed to swing back and forth. As the “range” of its swing is slowly, patiently “contained”, it gains energy … becomes a vibrating, centered “line of gravity” of our life.
6. It is not wise to oppose Chief Feature … to say, “I will stop doing this”, or “never again” … this only drives the expression deeper, layers it with necessary justification and more cleverness. Leave it out in the open but never stop watching! Always we must try to remember that it is a truly unique and powerful ‘gift’ that we can manifest our real Will through.
7. No man, up to and including Man #6, is ‘free’ of the egoistic possession by/of Chief Feature. Seeing that can help us be patient and stronger and more humorous about its ‘ever presence’.
8. As we all work somewhere in the octave of Man #4, we can remember that, as Balanced Man, Man #4 can come to a more impartial acceptance of his Chief Feature. He begins to experiment with and enjoy the exploration of this “ever-presence”, without losing the right attitude of seriousness and sincerity.
9. Often it “tricks” us by seeming to burst full blown into a life manifestation that we “thought” was pure and without ulterior motive. This can plunge us into a dark state of self-accusation, false guilt and, perhaps, real remorse. Simultaneous with this has entered …but often unseen … the Joy of seeing what is Real about us. It is helpful to open to that Joy as well.
10. At times the Chief Features of people interact very powerfully. In my own instance an indiscriminate “false” generosity has led other people astray on a number of occasions … in a sense “feeding” into their Chief Feature and enabling it. Part of my Work then becomes to see that, accept the remorseful “consequences” of it and strengthen my aim to be more discriminating. But never to stop being generous.