Personality and detachment

The section titled Man the True Image of God in our study this month (Mary Baker Eddy's 1898 Message to The Mother Church titled Christian Science versus Pantheism) sets the record straight about true personality.  See pages 9-12.

It makes me wonder just how a secular sense of personality works: does it relate to the belief that men include in their make-up both good and bad, or even, evil qualities?

Dictionary.com has: noun personality.

1. the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality.

2. a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities: He is a curious personality.

etc

Here are some synonyms from the same web site:  

charisma, charm, identity, makeup, nature, psyche, self, temper, temperament, complexion, disposition, dynamism, emotions, individuality, magnetism, singlularity, likeableness, serfdom

It would seem from the above, that the material definition of personality has to do with how one views one’s neighbour. I am reminded of Mrs. Eddy’s statement in Retrospection and Introspection (74:8): 

My corporeal personality afflicteth me not wittingly; for I desire never to think of it, and it cannot think of me.

It would also seem that "negative" qualities are as natural and as acceptable as "positive" ones; hence the necessity of following Paul's instruction to “put off the old man” (Col. 3:9, 10) both for oneself and for one’s fellow man. The Christ is here to help us do just that: “The Christ is here, all dreams of error breaking” (CS Hymnal 202 and 412). 

When we deny that "negative" qualities can attach themselves to friends, neighbours, or so-called enemies, we need also to deny that the "positive qualities" are in any way a personal possession. We learn in Christian Science that they are mankind’s God-given inheritance as His dear expression.

Joyce Voysey

Ed. Jurgen Kurt Stark's excellent article "Abiding Safely in Christ" in The Christian Science Journal April 2016 has more about not allowing evil to be personalized and may be of interest to readers of this blog. http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/2016/4/134-04/abiding-safely-in-christ