Chapters Seven to Nine: the spiritual 'don'ts'

A list of the 'don'ts' in Chapters Seven to Nine. Overly specific instructions have been ignored; what is set out below is a list of general spiritual principles. Duplicates are ignored.



Criticising (89:3)
Forcing yourself on people (90:4)
Pleading hysterically (90:4)
Being over-anxious (91:0)
Putting pressure on people (91:2)
Moralising (91:3)
Lecturing (91:3)
Nagging (91:1)
Taking offence (94:1)
Being contradictory (94:2)
Wearing out your welcome (95:1)
Exhibiting passion for crusade or reform (95:1)
Talking down from a spiritual hilltop (95:1)
Prodding (95:3)
Pushing (95:3)
Discouragement (96:1)
Avoiding responsibilities (97:1)
Depending on people ahead of God (98:1)
Arguing (98:3)
Fault-finding (98:3)
Participating in the quarrels of others (100:2)
Thinking of what you can get out of a situation (102:0)
Withdrawing (102:1)
Intolerance (103:1)
Hatred (103:1)
Bitterness (103:2)
Hostility (103:2)
Fighting anything or anyone (103:3)
Condemnation (108:1)
Anger (111:0)
Being a killjoy (111:2)
Hurry (113:1)
Crowding people (113:2)
Taking sides in arguments (115:3)
Resentful or critical disagreement (117:3)
Expecting too much (118:2)
Urging attention for yourself (119:1)
Dampening enthusiasm (119:1)
Complaining (119:2)
Reminding others of spiritual deficiency (120:2)
Arranging others' lives (120:3)
Guiding the appointments or affairs of others (120:3)
Wrapping others in cotton wool (122:1)
Placing others on a pedestal (122:1)
Having fixed ideas about others' attitudes towards you (122:1)
Interest in having your wishes respected (122:1)
Demanding that others concede (122:1)
Playing the lead (122:2)
Arranging the show to your liking (122:2)
Measuring life against that of other years (123:1)
Reproach (123:3)
Digging up past misdeeds (124:3)
Gossip (125:2)
Ridicule (125:2)
Making careless or inconsiderate remarks (125:2)
Placing money first (127:1)
Self-pity (127:3)
Self-justification (127:3)
Rancour (134:3)
Bias (134:3)
Standing in judgment (135:2)
Pettiness ('making a burning issue out of ...') (135:2)