Egotism is the perception, and recognition by individuals of the rights
and the possibilities of their real selves, their ego. Without it
human beings would not stand up on their hind legs, they would crawl.
It is at the same time a necessity and a danger. It has never been
settled which is cause and which effect, whether insanity creates the
awful manifestations of egotism or the unbalanced egotism induces
insanity. "Keep us sane" is the wisest of all prayers, the greatest
demand one can make upon his consciousness.
People pass into the spirit world in the full bloom of their egotism;
hordes of them return to tell their friends things they know absolutely
nothing about, and the folks on this side believe all they say, and so
fool ignorance is passed along and stays in the minds of those who
listen to the "messages" of egotism and ignorance. There are "dead
loads" of people who think this is all there is of Spiritualism. While
it _is_ blessed that friends can return, and comfort the mourning ones
by their assurances of remembrance and love, this should never be the
final result sought for. Those who have lived but a limited time in
the spirit world--the world of causes, of law--cannot teach people here
the knowledge that can satisfy their souls. But there are educated
souls, who have once lived honored and useful lives here, who are only
too glad to respond to the needs of inquiring humanity, teaching them
the ways of wisdom, and lifting them out of ignorance and darkness into
the light.