What is the ego?How can we identify our ego? Traditional psychoanalysis defines ego as, ‘the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity’. Basically, this means that your ego is the most important part of your mind when it comes to the subjective human experience. That, however, does not mean that letting our egos run wild is better for our human experience and it most certainly does not mean that reducing the ego is better either. It is far more complex of a situation than that. Metaphysical philosophy would define ego as, ‘a conscious thinking subject’. That definition is even more broad and further asserts that we ARE our egos. So then, to mold the ego is to mold the self and to mold the self is the desire of almost all spiritual seekers, mystics, religious persons, etc. To further understand the ego, let us define it in even greater detail. The ego is the part of our mind that transcends modes of consciousness. It moves between your subconscious and conscious minds relaying messages. Having an ego unchecked can lead to incorrect messages. With an ego running rampant, one could convince themselves of some undeserved superiority or that they deserve something more than others; that they are above human law and even natural law. This delusional state creates psychopaths, narcissists, sociopaths, and similar types. What does this mean for a spiritual seeker? What could become of the spiritual seeker that allows their ego to trick them into overvaluing themselves? The most obvious issue that can arise is the issue of stagnation. If we allow ourselves to believe that we are superior to others, we risk missing out on knowledge from what we consider inferior sources. We can become so sure of ourselves and our knowledge that we disregard the knowledge of others and fail to question our own. This is obviously folly for the person on a path of illumination. Likewise, having a frail and weak ego is equally if not more damaging to the seeker. If we humble our egos and humble ourselves so much as to doubt every experience and every truth we find within ourselves, then we risk being indecisive and running in circles. We can get in a loop of ‘good enough’ because we fail to see that we can be more. The ego can be a fuzzy thing to identify in writing but it is not hard to identify within ourselves so long as we do not let it grow/shrink out of proportion to begin with. When you begin thinking about a task or goal, that voice that tells you, “yes, you can do this” or, “you will never succeed” is your ego. When you introduce yourself to someone new and you feel confident or maybe even unconfident, that is your ego. That voice in your head that tells you what you do or do not deserve in life, that is you ego.
Again, an ego that is too large or too small can drastically effect our ability to receive or to seek new information. We either don’t value the outside sources enough or we value our own understanding too little. To ensure a positive role of the ego in spiritual development, a healthy balance must be maintained. According to the circumstances, the ego may need to be enlarged or reduced from time to time. There may be no ‘one size fits all’ ego. However, it is important to recognize ego and to be certain that our spiritual path is not being directed by our ego. Are we pursuing knowledge for the sake of having knowledge or are we pursuing knowledge for the sake of knowing more than the person next to us? Do we just want the inside scoop? Are we just seeking to be ‘in the know’? Are we truly in search of the experiences of spirituality and the benefits that brings or are we just trying to position ourselves above others? These are questions we must ask ourselves frequently to ensure that the ego is not guiding our spiritual paths. A sufficiently large ego is necessary to attain upper levels of mastery. The role that the ego plays in our illumination is the role of self-confidence. We must be sure of our own understanding and have the ability to recognize when we actually have something figured out. However, we must not be so sure of our own understanding that we reject sound doctrine or new information that opposes our understanding. This is further evidence of the importance of a questioning attitude when it comes to the ego. We must constantly question ourselves and our egos. Without this practice, we are destined for delusion and/or stagnation. How do we treat the ego while we work towards enlightenment and illumination? Well, as previously stated, we must continually question ourselves about our motives and perceptions. This is probably the most important part of keeping the ego within the right dimensions. Secondly, we must maintain an adequate level of ego based on that questioning. If we find that we are starting to overvalue our own understanding, maybe it is best to humble oneself and seek greater complexity of understanding. Nothing reminds you of your true level of understanding like trying to grasp a new and complex topic. Another healthy exercise in ego management is in the company you keep. If you surround yourself with those that are obviously of lesser understanding, it is easy to allow yourself to feel superior or above the crowd. However, if you surround yourself with those that you recognize as being of superior understanding, you may have a hard time convincing yourself that you are more worthy or deserving than they are. On the other end of the ego spectrum, if we reduce our egos so much that we lose self-worth and do not value our own understanding and our own direct experiences we risk falling into a pit of depression, stagnation, and mental inferiority. It is healthy to recognize falsehood and fallacy. It is wise to take note of that which is base and incorrect. If something is wrong, there should be no issue with asserting that it is. You may not wish to do so publicly but the wise can always recognize and notate the things that are untruths. There is no shame or dishonor in calling bullshit when it is time to do so. Just remember to ask yourself about your motives. Are you trying to increase knowledge or do you just want to show off and prove something? Recognizing and separating truth and lie is good practice and aids in our spiritual and mental progression. Even if that recognition is completely internal, we benefit from it. Another important aspect of ego maintenance is being able to recognize your worth and how much ego you are justified in having. The ego is a slippery slope. It is just as important to remember to keep enough of it as it is to remember to not let it grow wildly. This is often forgotten among spiritual people. It is perfectly fine to know your worth and even be proud of your intelligence or accomplishments. There is a distinct difference between boasting to make yourself feel better and to receive recognition and boasting to belittle others or reduce their worth. Those that do such things are usually guilty of having a large ego that they recognize they do not deserve. They have an inflated self-worth with no reason so they attempt to validate themselves by reducing others. Rather than lifting themselves up, they attempt to pull others beneath them. They are the ones that have created this negative outlook on larger egos. If you win the strongman competition for the entire planet, you can be justified in allowing your ego to recognize that and live accordingly. If you are the world’s fastest man, there is no negativity in admitting it. The same can be said of intelligence. If you recognize that you are intelligent, there is no shame in admitting it. There is no moral deficiency in knowing that you are smarter than most. However, do not use that to put others down. Do not use your mental superiority to reduce others. Everyone has different proclivities, fancies, attributes, inclinations, aptitudes, and abilities. You may be smarter than someone but that does not mean you are a superior human as a whole. There are many smart, wicked men on this earth. In the end, the use of the ego should be to build the self rather than to destroy others. One can have a marvelously large ego and use it for their own good. This is evidenced in athletes, artists, musicians, and many other talented people frequently. However, there are probably many more that use a large ego to destroy others and so they become politicians, bankers, fraud clergymen, con artists, and the like. Keep yourself in check by questioning your motives frequently. Be honest with yourself. You will most likely fail at times. Most of us get a big head at times and many of us even get depressed and feeling worthless at times. It is important not to get stuck in one of those loops. By questioning yourself and being honest with yourself, you can recognize when you may be straying from your path and thus can correct your direction. Do not let society convince you that humility is more valuable that understanding or knowledge. Do not let culture convince you that you cannot rely on your own understanding but rather increase that understanding so that you can rely on it. Use your ego. Do not be used by it.
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March 2017
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