--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The attitude that psychologists call…" description: "\"“The attitude that psychologists call inflation and the traditional lore of Cabalistic magic, borrowing a term from religion, calls spiritual pride is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg" --- # The attitude that psychologists call inflation and the… ![“The attitude that psychologists call inflation and the traditional lore of Cabalistic magic, borrowing a term from religion, calls spiritual pride is one of the most serious dangers of this work. Those who enter the path of magic with too great an appetite for flattery or too strong a need for ego…” quote by John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg) > ““The attitude that psychologists call inflation and the traditional lore of Cabalistic magic, borrowing a term from religion, calls spiritual pride is one of the most serious dangers of this work. Those who enter the path of magic with too great an appetite for flattery or too strong a need for ego reinforcement will very likely find these things, but they are also rather too likely to find fanaticism, megalomania and mental breakdown along the same route. The thing has happened far too often in the history of magic in the West.”” [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive ego and desire for validation in magical practice can lead to pride, fanaticism, and mental collapse, warning against self‑inflation. **In simple terms:** Beware of ego‑driven pride in spiritual pursuits. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and critical self‑reflection. Themes pride spirituality ego danger Mood cautionary critical Type philosophical warning When to use this quote - ritual work - personal development - spiritual study - leadership training Key Concepts psychology magical practice hubris Questions to Reflect On - What checks can you place on your own pride? - How do you recognize healthy versus harmful ambition? A Different Perspective Unchecked ego can cause harmful extremism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Fanaticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanaticism/) [Magick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magick/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-pride/) ## Related quotes > [“Why go to war, Papa?” “A hunger for power, fanaticism, megalomania. Endless stupidity. I don’t know what to tell you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-kollender/why-go-to-war-papa-a-hunger-for-power-fanaticism-megalomania-endless/) [Andreas Kollender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-kollender/) > [“Everything had been going so well, he'd had it really under his thumb these few centuries. That's how it goes, you think you're on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/everything-had-been-going-so-well-he-d-had-it-really-under-his-thumb/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Remember that unbalanced force is evil; that unbalanced severity is but cruelty and oppression; but that also unbalanced mercy is but weakness which would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/remember-that-unbalanced-force-is-evil-that-unbalanced-severity-is/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“The real inferiority of women to men is shown by their hate of paederasty , which they regard as unfair competition. Men on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-sutin/the-real-inferiority-of-women-to-men-is-shown-by-their-hate-of/) Lawrence Sutin > [“Right! Let's get on with it! All right... you... Will... have trained as apprentice to Ranger Halt of Redmont Fief these last five twelvemonths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/right-let-s-get-on-with-it-all-right-you-will-have-trained-as/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [“Do what thou wilt, the most sublimely austere ethical precept ever uttered, despite its apparent license.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/do-what-thou-wilt-the-most-sublimely-austere-ethical-precept-ever/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“To comprehend Crowley, one must comprehend what he meant by "Magick"—the "discredited" tradition he swore to "rehabilitate." Magick, for Crowley, is a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-sutin/to-comprehend-crowley-one-must-comprehend-what-he-meant-by-magick-the/) Lawrence Sutin > [“I saw at once the way to appeal to him.. 'Well, of course you know.' I said, 'in really smart circles one has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/i-saw-at-once-the-way-to-appeal-to-him-well-of-course-you-know-i-said/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [The deceitfulness of the heart of man appears in no one thing so much as this of spiritual pride and self-righteousness. The subtlety of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/the-deceitfulness-of-the-heart-of-man-appears-in-no-one-thing-so-much/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [For a long time—always, in fact—I have known that life here on earth is not what I needed and that I wasn’t able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-a-long-time-always-in-fact-i-have-known-that-life-here-on-earth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Aside from higher considerations, charity often operates as a vastly wise and prudent principle-a great safeguard to its possessor. Men have committed murder for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/aside-from-higher-considerations-charity-often-operates-as-a-vastly/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [We must be careful to avoid spiritual elitism. Everything we are and anything we possess as believers in Christ is a gift of grace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/we-must-be-careful-to-avoid-spiritual-elitism-everything-we-are-and/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [It was under a solemn consciousness of the dangers from ecclesiastical ambition, the bigotry of spiritual pride, and the intolerance of sects... that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-story/it-was-under-a-solemn-consciousness-of-the-dangers-from/) [Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-story/) > [“If you were madly in love, you’d want me to win,’ said Katherine. “‘I’m not sure that’s true,’ said Sam. ‘I think love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-st-aubyn/if-you-were-madly-in-love-you-d-want-me-to-win-said-katherine-i-m-not/) [Edward St. Aubyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-st-aubyn/) > [“I am more than a little jealous that the wonder I am party to has been sprinkled over Salinger's gray head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella-2/i-am-more-than-a-little-jealous-that-the-wonder-i-am-party-to-has/) [W.P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella-2/) ## More by John Michael Greer > [“There are two common and complementary mistakes, which have been made over and over again concerning spirits by people in the Western world. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/there-are-two-common-and-complementary-mistakes-which-have-been-made/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [ EROEI \[energy returned on energy invested, or net energy\] is to a civilization what gross profit is to a business, the source of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/eroei-energy-returned-on-energy-invested-or-net-energy-is-to-a/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [ “\[T\]he ideals and desires of the majority define the structure of society as it is; a would-be mass movement that pursues a different path… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/t-he-ideals-and-desires-of-the-majority-define-the-structure-of/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [Authenticity is about where it comes from; validity is about whether it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/authenticity-is-about-where-it-comes-from-validity-is-about-whether/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [... the future is under no obligation to wait patiently while we get ready for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/the-future-is-under-no-obligation-to-wait-patiently-while-we-get/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [There’s no such thing as technology in the singular, only technologies in the plural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/there-s-no-such-thing-as-technology-in-the-singular-only-technologies/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [“It’s unfashionable these days to notice that a great many human beings have had, and continue to have, experiences that they describe as interactions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/it-s-unfashionable-these-days-to-notice-that-a-great-many-human/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [I've long suspected that one of the reasons why human beings haven't yet figured out how to carry on a conversation with bottlenosed porpoises,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/i-ve-long-suspected-that-one-of-the-reasons-why-human-beings-haven-t/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [When people insist, as so many of them do, that of course we'll overcome the limits to growth and every other obstacle to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/when-people-insist-as-so-many-of-them-do-that-of-course-we-ll/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [Science, at its core, is simply a method of practical logic that tests hypotheses against experience. Scientism, by contrast, is the worldview and value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/science-at-its-core-is-simply-a-method-of-practical-logic-that-tests/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [“What tends to be forgotten, amid all the cheerleading for today’s technology, is that people in ancient times might have lacked our current theoretical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/what-tends-to-be-forgotten-amid-all-the-cheerleading-for-today-s/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [“Hardin, Garrett, Filters Against Folly (New York: Penguin, 1985).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/hardin-garrett-filters-against-folly-new-york-penguin-1985/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [It's still popular to ... insist that globalization is a rising tide that lifts all boats, but the hard reality is that the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/it-s-still-popular-to-insist-that-globalization-is-a-rising-tide-that/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [One the one hand, our economists treat human beings as rational actors making choices to maximize their own economic benefit. On the other hand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/one-the-one-hand-our-economists-treat-human-beings-as-rational-actors/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [Between the poor and any appreciation for modern science stands a wall made of failed schools, defunded libraries, denied opportunities, and the systematic use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/between-the-poor-and-any-appreciation-for-modern-science-stands-a/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) [Explore all 20 John Michael Greer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) ## More Arrogance quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [What you see of me on TV and all of that, that is me - that's truly how I feel. I'm just multiplying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/what-you-see-of-me-on-tv-and-all-of-that-that-is-me-that-s-truly-how/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Never mistake someones quietness for their arrogance as you can surely miss out on an awsome personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mistake-someones-quietness-for-their-arrogance-as-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Arrogance is the outgrowth of prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/arrogance-is-the-outgrowth-of-prosperity/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [Timing and arrogance are decisive factors in the successful use of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/timing-and-arrogance-are-decisive-factors-in-the-successful-use-of/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [Closed some doors, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenz-jeffrey/closed-some-doors-not-because-of-pride-incapacity-or-arrogance-but/) [Frenz Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenz-jeffrey/) > [My success isn't a result of arrogance - it's a result of belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/my-success-isn-t-a-result-of-arrogance-it-s-a-result-of-belief/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) Miguel Cervantes > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) [Browse all 1,418 Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The attitude that psychologists call inflation and the traditional lore of Cabalistic magic, borrowing a term from religion, calls spiritual pride is one of the most serious dangers of this work. Those who enter the path of magic with too great an appetite for flattery or too strong a need for ego reinforcement will very likely find these things, but they are also rather too likely to find fanaticism, megalomania and mental breakdown along the same route. The thing has happened far too often in the history of magic in the West.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Michael Greer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inflation-and-the-traditional/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arrogance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inflation-and-the-traditional/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/john-michael-greer-28078_arrogance_the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inf_3200527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The attitude that psychologists call inflation and the traditional lore of Cabalistic magic, borrowing a…” — John Michael Greer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Michael Greer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The attitude that psychologists call inflation...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inflation-and-the-traditional/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/the-attitude-that-psychologists-call-inflation-and-the-traditional/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```