The recognition of the evil in our nature is the first stage of a person’s development; it is when they begin to understand and grasp the essence of their nature, and where they start their earthly life from. It begins with being a small egoist, with an increasing desire to consume the entire world.

Question: There has always been a debate in society: is a person born an egoist or does the environment make them that way?

Answer: A person is born an egoist. Baal HaSulam says that a person is born as a small egoist. Then nature and the egoistic society in which we live, until now, develop this egoism and leave no other path for development. It is the growth of egoism alone that drives a person’s development.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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