It’s Difficult Being Human
A person has to choose between truth and falsehood, but when it comes to “sweet versus bitter” he has no choice for it’s obvious that he will always choose what is good and sweet over evil and bitter. I am unable to prefer a bad state to a good one. Yet, if I see “true vs. false” against “sweet vs. bitter,” then I may possibly choose the bitter truth, a bad sensation, because the truth is more important to me.
These are two different dimensions: The animate level makes the analysis of “sweet vs. bitter,” whereas the human level makes the analysis of “truth vs. falsehood” because a person works by “faith above reason.” If you ascend to the single consideration of “truth,” which includes all the other forces and possibilities, it means you attain unity with the Creator.
However, if you only consider “sweet or bitter,” then you are making an animate analysis and choice. An animal will never make a mistake on its level. It always chooses what is good for it. However, it does not make progress on the “human level.” Nature will not allow us to remain on the animate level and will compel us to develop.
On the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature, the animate analysis of behavior comes down only to the analysis of “sweet or bitter,” where one prefers what is sweet. On the other hand, a human being makes a distinction between two levels: the animal in him which makes the analysis of “sweet or bitter” and the human being in him who makes the analysis of “true versus false.” Therefore, a person is always in turmoil, going between the animal and human in him, looking for “what to choose.” He searches for a compromise because he wants what is sweet, but he sees that the most useful thing is the truth.
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/17/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”
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This is a great article
Most people descend to the animal level because they abandon pursuit of truth, the meaning of life, basically.
The issue is that the Human level acts very differently than the animate man (opposite intention), and animate man mocks him for it in his confusion and offence. (Why have you not also fallen??)