10 Quotes from "The Inner Watchman" Vernon Howard

Vernon Howard was an American mystic and INTP known for his clear writing and insightful lectures centered around defeating the ego-mind. As an INTP myself, I appreciate his lambasting of so-called “normal” human behavior, his keen eye for the ego’s games, and his clarity about what is truthful and what is false. I’ve recalled here 10 fun quotes & phrases of his, along with my interpretation of each. Spiritually minded INTPs might resonate quite readily with these perspectives, yet all personality types can benefit from “learnin’ with Vernon”, while considering their own inner truth in response.

    1. “Let the mad world stay mad.”

Typically an egoic fear response, involving ourselves in trying to change the world and other people is a frustrating waste of time that often invites hostile responses from others. We are much better off focusing on changing our own consciousness and living with integrity. In this way we avoid becoming another disastrous do-gooder who prides themselves on their efforts to improve the world out there, which is really more of the same wrong behavior they believe themselves to be fixing in society. Instead of distracting ourselves like this and getting more tangled up in the insanity of the world, we can become a rare example of a sane human being by distancing our minds from the whole mess. The world can do what it will, but a healed mind is invulnerable to it.

    2. “Save yourself the stupid trip.”

A frequent saying in Vernon’s classes, this quote encourages us to pass up on the phony attraction of the world’s excitements, which always end in more pain. By staying home and using our time to do inner work on ourselves, we are safe from the inevitable disappointment we will feel when the sham is exposed. The world is designed to supply us with endless thrills and goodies to lure us in and keep us too distracted to look inward, which would expose their emptiness. Society’s game is to maximize our participation and put off our questioning of its value until we are so deep in it we feel we have no choice but to keep playing. A willingness to be still and witness our emptiness can make us immune to its shallow temptations.

    3. “I hope all your dreams are smashed against the rocks.”

Our dreams and our confidence are false because they come from the ego. There is almost no chance that a human willingly lets go of their coveted ego fantasies and aspirations, so they usually must be ripped from our hands if we are to experience “the miracle of losing confidence”. When we finally realize we can’t count on ourselves for our salvation, we may turn to a higher wisdom with an earnest heart. It is like walking away from a broken down car after finally realizing that it can’t take you anywhere.

    4. “You’ve got nothing but a bunch of junk.”

The only thing of any value whatsoever is the truth, which comes from God. We are so afraid of it that we’ve filled our lives with false substitutes for truth just to get away from it. Our ability to recognize truth is so diminished that we nonetheless believe we possess value and that considerable riches may be within our reach. This is why we run around grabbing for value in the world and never seem to get much of a hold on it. We project the value we think we have onto outer symbols but if we manage to secure them the illusion is broken. We then cover it over again by our insistence that the value is actually there, which allows us to keep playing the game.

    5. “Most people are creepy creatures.”

People are always attempting to use others. They may be trying to:

• Sneakily syphon energy off of you.

• Use you as the subject of their pretentious words and mannerisms in order to prove the validity of their opinions and their imagined social standing.

• Testing which of their behaviors will be met with subtle signs of approval so they can avoid feeling inferior and win your favor.

• Nervously testing how many goodies they can get from you without crossing the line and being rebuked.

By recognizing these kinds of behaviors in ourselves we can be free of their draining effects and can see thru the cunning of others.

    6. “'It’s been nice knowing you.’

        No. It’s been BAD knowing everyone”

Our friends are those people who will not tolerate us as we are, but who demand that we be real human beings around them. Those who flatter us regardless of our ugly attitudes and who encourage us in our selfish and petty thinking are really functioning as our enemies. The egoic part of us does not seek out true friends but is scared of them and will try to ridicule or fight them, preferring people who allow us to stay the same. Rather than looking to meet new people, we should prioritize correcting our own minds as we are not mature enough to be in ascending relationships until we have done ample work on ourselves. If fostered, there is a true part of us which can lead us in right relationships that are free of flattery and manipulation, and which do not reward inner weakness.

    7. “You’re a double barrel blunderbuss.”

Worse than a loaded gun, a blunderbuss is an extra-large caliber shotgun—and a double barrel blunderbuss stretches this image even further. Vernon reached for this metaphor to illustrate the immense anger that is just beneath the surface within us, waiting to explode at the slightest perceived offense. Perhaps we are unexpectedly touched from behind on the shoulder and experience a rush of anger. Maybe a housemate insists on cooking tonight's dinner in a way that we don’t prefer and we begin fuming inside. There is no shortage of triggers for our repressed anger.

    8. “Of course you’re possessed by the devil. What else would you be possessed by? Certainly not goodness.”

We are being mechanically run by unconscious scripts even though we think we are making our own decisions based on reason. Unconscious desires and fears take control of us from moment to moment, directing our movements throughout the day. We cannot stop our frantic grasping for security and love, for example, without first becoming aware of the facts of our behavior and seeing how unreasonable it really is. Only when we allow the illusion that we are acting from goodness and sanity to fall apart, and we become willing to let go of the underlying fears and desires, do we then permit truth to direct us in the ways of rightness.

    9. “What sort of an atheist are you?”

We lack the trust that if we truly want to become sane and whole human beings, God will ensure it for us. We imagine someone else or some outside event can interfere with our salvation and we blame and attack these perceived threats to our happiness. This is a cover for our lack of real desire to return to God, which would swiftly manifest if it were powerful enough. Until we do return to God we cannot really know or believe in God and must doubt ourselves and the intelligence of life. Yet it helps to know that it is our own self-doubt, and not God’s, that is in need of correction.

    10. “Human sickness is so severe that few can bear to look at it. But those who do will become well.”

As does A Course In Miracles, Vernon tells us we are in far worse psychological condition than we have ever suspected—not only ourselves but the world we live in, and it takes courage to open our eyes to the reality of it. What looks normal to us is not normal at all, but is sickness on display, which is recognized with increasing clarity as we move towards health. For a long time, the more that we heal within ourselves the more we will discover there is to be healed. Vernon tells us the “mountain is a thousand times higher” than we ever thought, but little by little it can be scaled. As we exercise the courage to look at the truth and willingly endure the accompanying shocks, the door to healing is opened.

    Bonus: “Don’t let the mind win.”

Reported as the last message Vernon sent to his students from his death bed in 1992, this quote gets to the heart of his teaching that the egoic mind is not your real mind and you have no true allegiance to it. You can walk away from it and you must. It is your only real purpose to do so. The ego-mind is a great trickster but you need not let it win. Dedicate yourself to the truth and you will be ever glad you did in the end.