What is the Ego?

[Karl]

a useful definition: ego is who you think you are and know you are not.

 

Or know you are and think you are not.

[Kubba]

Someone asks what ego is and I give my answer.I know all the answers to the questions you ask me about myself. I know there are commonalities of thought-if not definition. If you say you are struggling to ride a bike, then I think back to when I had the same difficulty and try and suggest how you might overcome that difficulty- it may or may not be helpful. So, it's really you that must decide on the value of those answers.

Too bad, but thank you

[Boy]

Or know you are and think you are not.

yes, but that's the useless definition. please concentrate.

[Karl]

yes, but that's the useless definition. please concentrate.

I wouldn't call either a definition.

 

Ego is the [genus] that is [differentia]. Stated positively.

 

Is the traditional way to create a definition

 

I would say ( and this is a working definition) that ego is the attibutes and values of the mind that are distinct from those of all others.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Karl

[Boy]

semantics? not interested. also, you are wrong. goodbye.

[Karl]

semantics? not interested. also, you are wrong. goodbye.

 

Goodbye to you :-)

[Bud Jetsun]

The attempt to classify what is a delusion arisen from a perception limitation is like trying to define the shape of a sand dune.  It may always have shape, but that shape is never the same after you've looked.  

 

Just the act of seeking for the source of the delusion alters the delusion. 

 

For some, ego is the inescapable all encompassing reality of life, and that will never even fall upon a moment of doubt in their belief.

 

For others, it is some residue aspect of consciousness seen as delusion and nothing more. 

 

Both are correct to the humans limited ability to entertain the delusion of "knowing". 

 

With Unlimited Love,

-Bud

[Bindi]

To me ego is actually mad, it exists to endlessly flatter and compliment our persona and is shamelessly deceptive in this regard as it disregards the actual reality of situations - we are not always the best, not always in the right, not always successful, but even in defeat ego will always be there whispering in our ear how to reframe our loss, blame someone else, justify, simper, fawn, stroke.

I see ego as the biggest fan of the persona and the sense mind.

[rex]

To me ego is actually mad, it exists to endlessly flatter and compliment our persona and is shamelessly deceptive in this regard as it disregards the actual reality of situations - we are not always the best, not always in the right, not always successful, but even in defeat ego will always be there whispering in our ear how to reframe our loss, blame someone else, justify, simper, fawn, stroke.

 

I see ego as the biggest fan of the persona and the sense mind.

 

Ego can certainly be a clever lawyer seeking to twist everything to it's own ends. I think the unchecked, undisciplined ego followng it's own false perspectives can be insane, but there are healthy integrated egos too.

 

The irony is that it is often said that one has to develop a strong healthy ego before it can be intergrated/transcended.

[Karl]

To me ego is actually mad, it exists to endlessly flatter and compliment our persona and is shamelessly deceptive in this regard as it disregards the actual reality of situations - we are not always the best, not always in the right, not always successful, but even in defeat ego will always be there whispering in our ear how to reframe our loss, blame someone else, justify, simper, fawn, stroke.

I see ego as the biggest fan of the persona and the sense mind.

 

:-) and if there is no separate ego, then this is just us whispering to ourselves and pretending it's an imaginary friend. If we see that this is true, that no separation is possible, then we can admit it simply ourselves that whisper.

[Bindi]

Ego can certainly be a clever lawyer seeking to twist everything to it's own ends. I think the unchecked, undisciplined ego followng it's own false perspectives can be insane, but there are healthy integrated egos too.

 

The irony is that it is often said that one has to develop a strong healthy ego before it can be intergrated/transcended.

 

Healthy integrated ego's because of fortunate upbringings, fortunate personalities, or because of good psychological work on oneself? And is a healthy ego still deceptive, or does it give an honest appraisal?

 

It is also an irony that a strong healthy ego still needs to be transcended.

[Bindi]

:-) and if there is no separate ego, then this is just us whispering to ourselves and pretending it's an imaginary friend. If we see that this is true, that no separation is possible, then we can admit it simply ourselves that whisper.

Maybe it really doesn't matter if it's separate or not in reality, as long as ego itself is recognised.

[Karl]

Maybe it really doesn't matter if it's separate or not in reality, as long as ego itself is recognised.

 

What if ego is just you, natural you as you are but you have been playing a game with yourself in which you produce the label 'ego' as the culprit for all the things you wish were different about yourself ?

 

If you are trying to get rid of ego, are you not just standing in a bucket and trying to left yourself up by the handle ?

 

What if the demand for getting rid of the ego, is actually spoken by what you label as the ego ?

 

Now, you is trying to get rid of you. A perfectly balanced conundrum in which you arm wrestle yourself to the point of exhaustion, over and over again. Just like a cat chasing its own tail. The exhaustion feels like success, but after a time, in creeps the doubts about the destruction of the ego and round and round it goes.

[rex]

Healthy integrated ego's because of fortunate upbringings, fortunate personalities, or because of good psychological work on oneself? And is a healthy ego still deceptive, or does it give an honest appraisal?

 

It is also an irony that a strong healthy ego still needs to be transcended.

Healthly integrated egos can come from all of these and I take it as given that they're still fallible.

 

A healthy ego can be deceptive in the sense that the possessor may think that they've 'arrived' and their work is complete or they need not do any work anyway. It all depends on which spiritual/worldly values, if any, are used to motivate and inform their lives.

 

I suppose a strong healthy ego needs to have reference points beyond its own perspectives and come into right relationship and action with something greater than itself - hence ideas of transcendence/integration/transformation.

[Bindi]

What if ego is just you, natural you as you are but you have been playing a game with yourself in which you produce the label 'ego' as the culprit for all the things you wish were different about yourself ? If you are trying to get rid of ego, are you not just standing in a bucket and trying to left yourself up by the handle ? What if the demand for getting rid of the ego, is actually spoken by what you label as the ego ? Now, you is trying to get rid of you. A perfectly balanced conundrum in which you arm wrestle yourself to the point of exhaustion, over and over again. Just like a cat chasing its own tail. The exhaustion feels like success, but after a time, in creeps the doubts about the destruction of the ego and round and round it goes.

 

I associate ego with Makara, a minor chakra near ajna, acting out unconsciously until awareness is raised to that level. Raising awareness from lower to higher chakras is possible.

[Karl]

I associate ego with Makara, a minor chakra near ajna, acting out unconsciously until awareness is raised to that level. Raising awareness from lower to higher chakras is possible.

 

How do you know it exists if you aren't conscious of it ? What is it that you are conscious of currently if it isn't the ego you are looking to remove ?

[Nikolai1]

Under the aspect of time

 

The ego transmutes over time into the self.  Ego, which is an individuated consciousness becomes more and more capable of empathy with other egos.  The arising of empathy is the decline of the egoic state and the growth of the non/egoic state.  Under the aspect of time ego and Self are continuous with each other and lie on a spectrum.  Movement along this dimension is gradual enlightenment

 

Under the aspect of eternity

 

There is only universal consciousness and ego is just another representation of it.  Enlightenment is impossible,  We are already enlightened.

[Silent Answers]

What if ego is just you, natural you as you are but you have been playing a game with yourself in which you produce the label 'ego' as the culprit for all the things you wish were different about yourself ? If you are trying to get rid of ego, are you not just standing in a bucket and trying to left yourself up by the handle ?What if the demand for getting rid of the ego, is actually spoken by what you label as the ego ? Now, you is trying to get rid of you. A perfectly balanced conundrum in which you arm wrestle yourself to the point of exhaustion, over and over again. Just like a cat chasing its own tail. The exhaustion feels like success, but after a time, in creeps the doubts about the destruction of the ego and round and round it goes.

Isn't this version of you just a different name for the same thing? It's just that instead of judging it, you give it a free pass.

[Bindi]

Healthly integrated egos can come from all of these and I take it as given that they're still fallible.

 

A healthy ego can be deceptive in the sense that the possessor may think that they've 'arrived' and their work is complete or they need not do any work anyway. It all depends on which spiritual/worldly values, if any, are used to motivate and inform their lives.

 

I suppose a strong healthy ego needs to have reference points beyond its own perspectives and come into right relationship and action with something greater than itself - hence ideas of transcendence/integration/transformation.

 

I wonder if a strong healthy sense of self worth is actually a part of ego though? I dreamt of ego last night (following all these ego threads ) as deceptive, a 'smooth operator', not to be trusted. I'd prefer to separate these two traits out, self worth and ego.

[Bindi]

How do you know it exists if you aren't conscious of it ? What is it that you are conscious of currently if it isn't the ego you are looking to remove ?

You can see evidence of it's activity, even if you can't see where that evidence was created. In raising awareness you come across ego, not because you were looking for it, but because it was on your path. When aware of it it can be transcended.

[Karl]

Under the aspect of time

 

The ego transmutes over time into the self.  Ego, which is an individuated consciousness becomes more and more capable of empathy with other egos.  The arising of empathy is the decline of the egoic state and the growth of the non/egoic state.  Under the aspect of time ego and Self are continuous with each other and lie on a spectrum.  Movement along this dimension is gradual enlightenment

 

Under the aspect of eternity

 

There is only universal consciousness and ego is just another representation of it.  Enlightenment is impossible,  We are already enlightened.

 

What is the relationship of ego, self, empathy, consciousness ?

 

Ego (minus)= Empathy(positive) Is that correct ?

 

All Empath is Self

All Self is consciousness

All Consciousness is Empathy. Is that correct ?

 

That means you are saying empathy=empathy. Which I can't help but agree with ?

 

 

 

[Karl]

Isn't this version of you just a different name for the same thing? It's just that instead of judging it, you give it a free pass.

 

Well I am I, and no one else. If ego is I, then I is ego for me.

This is just how it is with me. There is no separation. There is also no conflict, which there certainly was when I thought ego was separate.

 

[Karl]

You can see evidence of it's activity, even if you can't see where that evidence was created. In raising awareness you come across ego, not because you were looking for it, but because it was on your path. When aware of it it can be transcended.

 

I can directly know evidence of my activity, but I see no evidence of any other.

[ChiForce]

Yawn, is Karl again with over 30 posts per day and offering nothing new and enlightening. 

[Karl]

Yawn, is Karl again with over 30 posts per day and offering nothing new and enlightening. 

 

Is your post contributing in any sense ? No. See if you can try and contribute instead of mounting yet another personal attack.