Anthony de Mello

He's sipping beer somewhere at a bar and he thinks, well, look at my classmates.

You call that made it?

They got their names in the prison journal, which all the prisoners are reading.

And he thinks they've made it.

President of a corporation.

The other guy has become the Chief Justice.

And somebody else has become this.

And the other person has become that.

Every one of them, most of them, they're moody, they're crazy.

You became the president of the lunatic asylum and you're proud of it.

Being the president of a corporation has absolutely nothing to do with being awake.

So this small-time businessman, poor guy, 55 years old, he's sipping beer somewhere at a bar.

And he's thinking sadly that he isn't a success like his classmate.

Nobody has ever told him that having a good job and being famous and having a great reputation has absolutely nothing to do with happiness or success.

And so he's worried about what his children will think of him.

What will the neighbours think about him?

What will his wife think?

He should have become famous.

That's what your society and your culture is drilling into your head, day and night.

Because they drained all their energy into getting something that was worthless.