A man is alive when he is wholehearted, true to himself, true to his own inner forces, and able to act freely according to the nature of the situations he is in …
… it is a state of being in which all forces which arise in a man can find expression; he lives in balance among the forces which arise in him; he is unique as the patters of forces which arises is unique; he it at peace, since there are no disturbances created by underground forces which have no outlet, at one with himself and his surroundings.
This state cannot be reached merely by inner work.
There is a myth, sometimes widespread that a person need do only inner work, in order to be alive like this, that man is entirely responsible for his own problems; and that to cure himself, he need only change himself. This teachins has some value, since it is so easy for a man to imagine that his problems are caused by “others.” But it is a one-sided and mistaken view which also maintains the arrogance of the belief that the individual is self sufficient, and not dependent in any essential way on his surroundings.
The fact is, a person is so far formed by his surroundings, that his state of harmony depends entirely on his harmony with his surroundings.
Christopher Alexander – A Timeless Way of Building
