"Time-thinking is one of the greatest swindlers of all time. It promises
everything and delivers nothing. The undeveloped person listens to these
glittering promises and believes them because he thinks it is good and
necessary to take them as facts. But what part of him foolishly accepts
them as facts? Simply another thought which he takes as being himself. This
becomes clearer by picturing a comedian on stage alternating between two
roles. First he puts on a farmer's straw hat and promises a motorist that
he will pull a stuck car out of the muddy road. The motorist gratefully
gives the farmer ten dollars. The farmer disappears with the money but
never comes back with the tractor. This illustrates an incredible folly of
man - one idea in his mind lies to another idea in his mind, but not seeing
how he simply switches from one hat to another, the inner agitation simply
continues as always.
At this point I will give you some practical exercises to remind you of
the need to understand time-thinking...."
The Answer, Letter 4, p. 26
