# The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution  ## Metadata - Author: [[P. D. Ouspensky]] - Full Title: The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution - Category: #books ## Highlights - Functions can exist without consciousness and consciousness can exist without functions ([Location 315](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08LBLJQCC&location=315)) - Now this is the chief point in work upon oneself. If one realises that all the difficulties in the work depend on the fact that one cannot remember oneself, one already knows what one must do. One must try to remember oneself. In order to do this one must struggle with mechanical thoughts and one must struggle with imagination. ([Location 924](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08LBLJQCC&location=924)) - Try to ask yourself this question and you will see that you cannot answer it. You have always confused understanding with knowing or having information. But to know and to understand are two quite different things and you must learn to distinguish between them. In order to understand a thing, you must see its connection with some bigger subject, or bigger whole, and the possible consequences of this connection. Understanding is always the understanding of a smaller problem in relation to a bigger problem. ([Location 981](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08LBLJQCC&location=981)) - There are many kinds of schools. I have spoken before about the four ways: way of fakir, way of monk way of yogi and the fourth way. ([Location 1141](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08LBLJQCC&location=1141))