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Uh Oh, Ego! What Is It, and
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What is ego, anyway? How do we define it, and what role does it play in our life?
Basically, it's a collection of thoughts and beliefs that we carry around with us. These thoughts and beliefs are all based on the idea that each of us is a singular entity, entirely separate from everything and everyone else.
Before we go any further, let's look at the difference between individuality and separation.
Individuality is a good thing. It's what makes the wonderful depth and breadth of our life experience possible. Individual consciousness not only allows us to create our life experience, it also allows us to interact with and share the experiences of others. The important thing about individuality is this: as an individual you retain your connection to the whole. You can create and enjoy your own experience; you can learn from others, appreciate their individuality and serve their needs at the same time; and you still retain your universal and spiritual connection... the "oneness" which makes Creating Life Abundance possible.
Separation, on the other hand, is not so good. If you separate yourself you cut yourself off from all other people and things around you. You might still interact with others; you may still bring things into your experience; but if you are separate you do it on a surface level only. There is no real depth to the experience; nothing has any real meaning. Essentially, separation cuts you off from who you really are... it limits your life experience dramatically, especially your ability to inspire and improve the lives of others.
Ego enforces separation.
It asserts that we're separate from each other and separate from everything else in our existence. Left to its own devices, it will work with your mind to prove and enforce your complete separation from everything around you, including other people and all of your dreams, desires and goals.
It focuses completely on your separation from all other things. It takes the idea to the extreme, and it is constantly looking for new ways to enforce it. In your ego's view, you are not connected to anything or anyone else. If you want to bring something into your life, you must physically "get" it somehow. Ego rejects the idea that you are already connected to everything you want and need. If you are a religious person, it might even attempt to separate you from your chosen deity. It might see it as some far-off being who lives in a separate realm and occasionally offers mercy, salvation, eternal bliss or the answers to your prayers in return for your blind devotion. The good ideas of numerous religions and spiritual philosophies are often distorted by the presence of ego... and the concept of separation.
Your ego doesn't really exist...
but it doesn't want you to know that!
In truth, it has absolutely no form, no substance and no real existence at all. It's just a collection of thoughts and beliefs. However, as with all deep-seated beliefs, our minds tend to experience it as something "real". As a result, it can affect our behavior and life experience. And, as with all deep-seated beliefs, it can feel very real if we haven't learned to change or transcend it.
Because it often feels real, we often give ego much more credence and attention than it deserves. Many of us allow it to influence - even control - our lives completely. We let it dictate our beliefs; we allow it determine our outlook and actions. Our views and responses - to situations, ideas and the words or actions of others - are affected by it, often dramatically.
It compares, competes, excludes and judges itself and the things around it. It also fears everything around it. It fears the judgments and actions of others. All of it is based in fear, ignorance, lack and limitation; the belief that everything is separate from everything else, and that there's only so much of anything to go around. It creates envy, anger, sadness, greed, dissatisfaction, distrust, prejudice and more.
"Us" and "Them"
The "us" and "them" mentality is pure ego. Whenever any person or group of people comes to odds with another, it's involved in some way. It's always trying to be "better"; to prove that it is "right" and others are "wrong"; to get "more" than others have; to show that it is "better" than others in some way; to "win" by being victorious over others. Cooperation turns into competition.
It scrambles to "win" or "be better" than another; to "protect" itself; to "get what's mine" before another does; to hold on fiercely to what it has, even when it's not needed; to "get even" for something that happened in the past. Almost everything becomes a scramble, a fight, a struggle. "Life sucks and then you die," or "Life is hard - get used to it," and that sort of thing. Moments of pleasure, joy and peace become coveted because they are so few and far between.
One of ego's most powerful tools is fear.
It is always afraid. It feeds on fear and perceives constant, multiple threats to its well-being and existence. There are always external entities (such as other egos) trying to hurt it, take what it has, enforce beliefs and ideals upon it, change things, be better than it, get more than it, and so on. This extends to group mentalities as well: clubs and social groups, societies, even entire cultures, countries and governments.
There is always a threat, always something that needs to be "fought". "Us" versus "them", remember? Ego is always afraid of what's "out there"; of what might hurt it. In many cases, minds in its grip seek to destroy what they perceive as threats to their ideals, to enforce their ideals upon others, or to pursue their own interests with little or no consideration for others. War is a direct result of this. Were it not for the delusions of ego, war literally would not exist.
Fascination with others.
Ego is also fascinated - obsessed, really - with what others are doing. When negative things happen to others; it sees them as additional ways to enforce its separation. It will often focus on negative events; just look at the majority of journalism and media news coverage, for example.
It's one thing to provide objective, balanced coverage of events - both negative and positive - in a way that promotes compassion, courage and the desire to create positive change. It's quite another to sensationalize events - mostly negative ones - in a way that claims to be "objective" but is actually quite biased, and promote fear, sadness, judgment, voyeurism and an "Oh boy, that's too bad. I'm glad it wasn't me," attitude. Which do you think the media usually does?
Of course, the media focuses on sensationalist coverage because that's what the egos of so many viewers/readers feed on. Cut back on sensationalist coverage and television ratings drop, newsstand sales decline, Internet hits sink, and advertising revenue is lost. It becomes a vicious "ego cycle"; all the result of unconscious living.
All of this is ego working to enforce its sense of separation. "There are a lot of bad things 'out there' - I've got to protect myself from them." And at the same time, "Oh, look at those terrible things happening to 'other people'. Well, it's not happening to me, and there's not much I can do about it anyway. I'll just lament about how terrible it is; it'll give me something to talk about."
Does any of that sound rational to you?
What's described above sounds quite irrational - and it is. Nevertheless, due to unconscious conditioning, most of us have been living under ego's spell almost since birth.
We emerge from the womb free of the concept. Then, almost immediately, most of us are immersed in its influence because it's how those around us have lived since birth. Gradually, we learn that "Me" is completely separate from everything else, that there are many things to fear and protect ourselves from, that others will often try to take advantage of us, that our own happiness always depends on the approval and acceptance of others, that there is very little around us that we can change or influence, that life is often difficult and unpleasant, that we must often abandon our dreams because they're "impractical" or "impossible", that winning is everything, that happiness depends on getting what we want, and on and on...
Most of us experience this to a certain degree, some more than others. We may be taught by parents and guardians, by teachers and authority figures, by entertainment and media, by friends and colleagues, and more. It becomes so ingrained that we are usually fully in the grip of our own ego by the time we reach our teens... and we live the rest of our lives under its influence, passing it on to our own children as it was passed on to us.
What's the solution?
Relax, it's easier than you might think. While dealing with ego might sound like a rather daunting adventure in human understanding, it's just a matter of remembering - and honoring - your true nature.
First, learn more about it. Learn more about where it comes from, how it works, and how it affects you.
Then, learn to let go and transcend it. Learn to go beyond ego and the competitive, fearful mindset. Get rid of "drama dependency!"
Freeing yourself from ego gives you the freedom to succeed... really succeed. Your power to Create Life Abundance will multiply.
You'll be amazed at the results!
Return From Uh Oh, Ego to
Creating Life Abundance
