While Eastern religious and philosophical systems are set up to search for human harmony with oneself and the environment at every moment of time, Western tradition insists on the importance of stating the gap between what is desired and what is achieved, this is why the path of the Western Magician has never been a search for reducing resistance, on the contrary, it could often seem like "breaking through a wall with his forehead" but it is the desire to be oneself, the affirmation of this self, even in spite of the whole world, that has always been a characteristic feature of the tradition of Western magic

It is clear that a person will never fight for what, in his opinion, he already has. Therefore, for the Western Path, the most important thing is to realize your limitations, identify them and further overcome them. It may seem that constant concentration on what you don't have can develop an inferiority complex, and this is true if we are not talking about magicians. But the cornerstone task for a magician is to stand face to face with his limitations and perceive them not as a reason for regret, but as a challenge to battle, as an incentive to action aimed at overcoming these limitations

For a student following the Western Path, the teacher's constant attention to his shortcomings is an exhausting burden that very few can bear, but it is the teacher's uncompromising attitude, his refusal to recognize the lack of progress as a "small advance", the lack of harmony as a "movement towards happiness" and the lack of strength as a "manifestation of peacefulness" that guarantees success

That is why one of the well-known methods of teaching on the Western Path is the so-called "driving imbalance". The teacher constantly confronts the student with insurmountable problems, perfectly understanding their insuperability for him precisely in order to develop the "desire to be a winner", which is forged only in a tough struggle. Without giving any indulgences, the teacher tempers the student's spirit, preparing him for real battles in which the stake is greater than life