Death of 'I' as material for work

"If a man were deprived of his illusions and all that prevents him from seeing reality -- if he were deprived of his interests, his cares, his expectations and hopes -- all his strivings would collapse, everything would become empty and there would remain an empty being, an empty body, only physiologically alive. This would be the death of 'I,' the death of everything it consisted of, the destruction of everything false collected through ignorance or inexperience. All this will remain in him merely as material, but subject to selection. Then a man will be able to choose for himself and not have imposed on him what others like."

-- Gurdjieff, from Views from the Real World