There are two lies that the ego tells you. From the foundation of these two lies spawns many other lies. Comparisons, judgments, putting people on a pedestal, or putting people down. When you find your life in a place of comparison, you are finding yourself in a place of ego. Mistakenly, ego is sometimes defined as your self-esteem. More accurately, ego is a value created out of self-importance. You are important. Other people are also important. Everyone is important as a part of the experience of life, just as you are. The two biggest lies the ego tells attempt to rid you of this truth by telling you that you are either more than, or less than.
You Are More Than
Being egotistical or “having an ego” is often associated with the “more than” quality of the ego’s lies. Feeling arrogant, entitled, elitist, or inflated are signs of an ego run wild. You tell yourself that you are more than, better than, or greater than for an ironic reason. Most often, these thoughts are based in feeling inadequate and insecure. Feelings of worthlessness, low self-esteem, and ultimately, fear, are another form of deception on behalf of the ego.
You Are Less Than
Those negative feelings of being less than others do not always inspire ego based feelings of being more than others. Sometimes called “false pride”, feelings of inferiority are also based in ego. Feeling less than others is another form of comparing that leads to feelings of being beneath others. The ego is driven by denying you the opportunity to be authentically yourself as you are without comparison.
Combatting The Ego
Many spiritual disciplines take many different approaches to combatting the ego. Others argue that by acknowledging the ego at all, the ego is given more power. Addiction can be seen as an ego driven decision. Using drugs and alcohol in spite of others to feel above them, or using alcohol to cope with others because you feel below them, ego is ultimately driven by the ego. Once drugs and alcohol are taken out of the picture, the ego can be seen objectively again. By identifying the ego on both sides, you can start to look at the ego from a place of clarity.
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