People are often fascinated by those who openly say what everyone else is afraid to admit. When someone declares that vanity drives them, that they care primarily about their own opinion, or that they use others for their own benefit, we might be shocked by such statements. Yet at the same time, there is something refreshing about their honesty.
Take, for instance, the famous couturier Karl Lagerfeld, who managed to create his own image in fashion. He has several very popular, and very egoistic, statements, such as “I am a sort of vampire, taking the blood of other people” (The Observer Magazine). “Vanity is the healthiest thing in life” (BBC). “I hate intellectual conversations with intellectuals because I care only about my own opinion” (Vice).
Why? It is because our nature is egoism, i.e., the desire to enjoy at the expense of others and nature.
We should not hide this fact from ourselves. The desire to rise above others, to succeed, to be respected, and to feel more important is deeply rooted in human nature. What do we usually call success in this world? In one way or another, it is the fulfillment of our vanity, the feeling that we have achieved something, distinguished ourselves, or risen above others.
There is no reason to pretend that this nature does not exist. On the contrary, recognizing it is an essential step in our development.
The wisdom of Kabbalah does not teach us to close our eyes to egoism or decorate it with beautiful words. We need to reveal it as clearly as possible. Eventually, we need to be able to look honestly at ourselves and say, “This is my nature.”
This is called “the recognition of evil.” In other words, it is when we recognize that our every desire is self-aimed, solely for personal benefit.
Without revealing the evil within us, we cannot understand what good truly is. Good and evil must be revealed in relation to one another. Only when we clearly see the egoistic qualities operating in us can we begin to understand what their corrected form should be.
It is like discovering that a beautiful piece of clothing has been turned inside out. Looking at it, everything appears crude, strange, and incorrect. But then we realize that we do not need to destroy the garment. We simply need to turn it the right way up.
It is the same with human nature.
We should not destroy our egoistic desires. We need to reveal them and then learn how to use them correctly. This is why it is written, “Love covers all transgressions.”
The transgressions do not disappear. Love does not erase them. Instead, the entire egoistic nature that has become revealed becomes the foundation above which love can be built.
Therefore, truth must come first. We gain nothing by disguising our nature with polite phrases, vague hints, and beautiful appearances. If we sincerely reveal what exists within us, then we finally have something real to correct.
Only after the transgressions are revealed can we understand the necessity for love to cover them.
This is the correct relationship between good and evil: not destroying one for the sake of the other, but allowing the two to exist together, with love rising above egoism and covering it. This is how even the evil within us serves the development of love.
Based on KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on March 3, 2025. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.