The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Chapter 5 states that humans’ capacity to evolve is a miracle that defies scientific logic. Because the world is constantly moving toward a state of entropy, or “total disorganization and undifferentiation,” (265) it doesn’t make scientific sense that humans are able to grow. Peck argues that love is the force that fights against entropy and allows for spiritual elevation.

In Chapter 6, Peck argues that although God is the source of love, the concept of God doesn’t have to be limited to the Christian God. Instead, “God” can denote the enlightened state of being that all people are trying to reach. People who do not want to put in the spiritual effort may contend that godhood is unattainable, but those who devote themselves to inner growth can develop more effective ways to experience joy, nurture others, or feel love.

Chapter 7 asserts that growing as a person requires combating laziness and interrogating the world around you. Peck identifies laziness as original sin. He believes that in the biblical stories of the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve committed the original sin when they were too lazy to ask God why they couldn’t eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. By extension, Peck contends that if people are lazy, they limit their understanding of the world. Just as the world contains both good and evil, the self contains both sickness and health and it is important to protect the healthy self against the sick self in order to combat entropy.

In Chapter 8, Peck states that good and evil define the human experience and exist in all human relationships. If individuals exhibit evil tendencies toward others, they are exhibiting antilove. Peck holds that this is different from laziness, which is an example of non-love. To fight evil, people must prioritize their own growth.

Chapter Lessons

• Humans are uniquely able to fight against entropy and pursue spiritual growth, using love as a source of power that enables the pursuit of change and edification.
• God is a fluid concept, and people are free to define God according to their own personal understanding of spirituality.
• Laziness is a form of complacency that limits personal growth, but the act of questioning personal experiences will facilitate growth and understanding.
• Evil is an inescapable aspect of the world; it coexists with goodness and beauty, and people can resist evil by striving for spiritual growth.

Reflection Questions

• Do you agree with Peck that only humans can experience evolution? How does your experience prove or disprove Peck’s theory?
• How does your definition of God compare and contrast with Peck’s? Is God fluid or rigid to you? Why?
• How do you understand the concept of sin? Do you agree with Peck’s assessment of original sin? How does your own experience inform your outlook?
• What aspects of your personal growth feel difficult in light of the evil that you see in the world around you? How might prioritizing love, skepticism, and awareness help you to transcend these challenges?