Vernon Howard and Richard Rose had very different presentation styles but in certain aspects they were closely aligned:
- Reverse path
- Direct confrontation of the ego
- Emphasis on the seeker making effort, within a group setting
- Insistence that total dedication is necessary
- Zero tolerance for untruth
Although never really highlighted as such, a large percentage of Vernon Howard's teaching is framed in terms of the "reverse vector", i.e., confront the false and let it go, rather than postulate what truth might be and work positively toward it. He does occasionally say that a higher state exists, a state of freedom which he calls the natural Self, but he emphasizes that the higher is reached only by leaving the the lower: "You can't enter North Carolina without leaving South Carolina." And then he returns to confronting the lower.
The quotes below illustrate Mr. Howard's reverse-path and direct-confrontation attitude. They are taken from the New Life daily quote archives linked at the left. They will be updated occasionally.