Wednesday, February 29, 2012

What Is The Ego & Why Is It A Problem?

By Pamela J. Wells



Ego is when a person feels an inflated sense of self, feels superior to others, but also when he or she feels inferior to others—this is also the ego. The main thing that you need to remember is that ego (the false self that the mind creates), separates itself from others, picks and chooses who it likes and does not like. It discriminates. It judges. The only results that can come out of it are feelings of isolation, loneliness, misery, pain and suffering.

When we live our life from the ego, we feel that we have to compete with others in all areas of our lives, so as not to feel inadequate. We compete with everyone we come into contact with—our family, our friends, the person with whom we are in a personal relationship with, with acquaintances, and with people with whom we have barely met for the first time. We compete in our jobs, with our level of education, with our hobbies, by our “status” in society, which can also be referred to as our ego status—our false, imaginary status in society. It is just an idea of the mind, that is not real, that’s only purpose is to create separation.

When the ego is involved, there are two extremes. The ego (the I) says, “I must have this!” It places strong expectations on others. It says, “I deserve this!” It demands. The other extreme is on the other end of the ego seesaw. It is still the ego (the I) when someone has low self-confidence, low self-esteem, where the person needs approval from others, so he or she can build up their ego. Both of these extremes will only leave you with feelings of lack and emptiness that can never be filled up. The ego (the I) wants recognition. It wants to be special.

Feeling and believing that you deserve great things in life is not the same thing as feeling that you deserve more than others. Thinking and feeling that you deserve more than others is about ego and the empty feeling that you need to fill yourself up at the expense of others, looking down on others, using what you have to build yourself up onto a pedestal. You deserve great things in life because you are a great person who is kind and compassionate with yourself and others. You live your life from your true nature instead of from the ego. It is not about being better than others, having more than others, looking better than others, being smarter, or being faster than others. Freedom comes from releasing the ego and being selfless; and, acceptance comes from accepting yourself and others 100%, believing and knowing that you deserve a great life and others deserve a great life as well.

Copyright © 2012 Pamela J. Wells. All Rights Reserved

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