Ego

I came across the word ego as early as a teenager. At that point of time, Ego would mean pride. Ego seems to walk hand-in-hand with me at all times, because I am a person of pride. Apologizing was difficult. Giving a sincere compliment is even more impossible.

As I grew to understand the real meaning behind Ego, realization and expectation did not meet their ends. Ego has little to do with pride. Ego, however, has much more to do with survival instincts.

In 1932, Sigmund Frued came about the psychodynamic personality theory. In his theory, Freud tells us that Ego simply acts on instant gratification, meaning to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. Very much alike any animal survival instincts on the planet, Ego ensures your survival. When a person is thirsty, water satisfies his need, while he finds pleasure in meeting his demand. Has Ego got anything to do with pride?

Ego is simply a misunderstood word to represent pride. Ego is not pride. Pride is of course, not ego. Ego strives to meet demands, while pride strives to feed pretense. Just as any instinct, Ego cannot be rooted completely from our within. It is essential to us, however, too much of Ego can drive a person to wrongful actions. Remember that day when you kept quiet about a paper note that you found on the floor, all because you wanted to keep it, because you had a strong desire for something that you could not get right away. Bigger things always start small. Desires can turn saints into thieves, just as saints are only normal mortal beings. Pride also plays a minor part in this play. Pride tells you that it is okay to keep quiet, because you did not steal from anyone, because you FOUND it on the floor. So, this is a smaller note that we are talking about. How about bigger notes? As big as a hundred dollars, or a thousand dollars? The stronger your desire, the more tipped off the balance.

Understanding Ego helps detect it in early stages of desires. Detection is always better than ignorance. When a person comprehends the functions of Ego, one could practice empathy to a longer extend. If you realized Ego, you would have stopped to think twice, lower yourself to view from a different perspective, in this case, the person who lost a note. As you exercise empathy, you feel also the person's loss; what if the person is having a financial crisis and all that he is left with is this much? You begin to see in a new light, just because you understand now from a whole new perspective.

Ego is never a man's item. As a woman myself, I saw my Ego took flight with those who do not seek understanding. Now, I see my Ego resonates with those who comprehend and I am now much more in better control, in essence of everything. I apologize for the wrongs that I do, and I compliment those that are beautiful with sincerity. Life is much better, life reveals itself differently, life is beautiful.