Squashing the Digital-Ego

No one cares about who is right and wrong, and who is more powerful, and who knows more than anyone. The fact is....when they die, just like we all will, none of that hard work, and cocky attitude will matter. Even Einsteins findings where theories....how do we know what he says is true? Have we done the tests ourselves? Are you saying that we can test multi universes? Einstein was just a theorist to me. Smartest man in the world...what did he invent, theories. He is just a man with thoughts. Its like trying to prove string theory....oh wait....you cant...because its all bull...its all for.....you guessed it...fame and money.

How can it be a "D-ego" when everything we think/type on here is comming from our own real live brains? The only thing digital here is what your reading now which was posted by a human brain not a digital one. Nothing against the OP (especially since he is a mod and a very nice person from what I have seen on here) but the "D-ego" represents who they are in real life, making it their real ego or "R-ego" if you will. Now there are the few fake ppl that need to terrorize ppl on here to compensate for the all the crap ppl put them through in real life dont get me wrong . But if you think about it your "D-ego" is your real ego unless you lie to yourself making you think your somebody your not then of course I think you would have bigger issues to worry about then having a big D-ego lol

Thats just my opinion though Have a good day all

[edit on 8-4-2010 by Jeffdogg]

reply to post by masqua


Agreed. However, as much as I'd like to hope this will change how people act on these boards, it will not People will act however they wish... Think of it like this.

You're playing online poker for fun, you play however you wish because there is no basis of monetary value other than the 'fake' money you're playing with, so going all in means nothing if you lose it all, so what do you have to lose? Nothing.

Same goes with posting online under an alias AKA username. You have nothing to lose (except maybe being banned from the site) by the way you act, respond/post, say, whatever... You can be whomever you wish to be online. I am completely myself on these forums, but that's me. Many people act like they know things they don't, make up things without people having to see their faces as they type knowing they are lying etc...

It's too bad though, there are a lot of great minds on ATS - if people were themselves, and stuck to the T&C this would be a much nicer place. The mods do a good job at getting rid of rubbish quickly, I've noticed it picking up even better lately, and responses to "alerts" have been very prompt, so I have nothing to complain in that area.

Anyway, I hope some people take the OP to heart seriously. It's a good post, so S&F for you masqua

Sometimes when I read a thread, a poster will remark "I was just thinking about this, this morning". I think, how very odd you should be thinking about this very subject this morning. Really?

But I promise, I was just thinking about this this morning when I was brushing my teeth!!!

But it varied a little. I was thinking about how both sides of the coins should be experienced by all of us.

We should have times when we are right, and times when we experience other's being right.

We should have times when we are strong, and times when we let the other person be the strong one.

Times when we are the "helper", and times when we allow another person to help us.

We need to experience both.

What have you gained if you insist that you are right, but you're not?

You've only accomplished being stubborn and obnoxious.

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
Sometimes when I read a thread, a poster will remark "I was just thinking about this, this morning". I think, how very odd you should be thinking about this very subject this morning. Really?

But I promise, I was just thinking about this this morning when I was brushing my teeth!!!

I believe it when people post that, saying they were thinking of a topic earlier and then it was posted.

I've experienced it personally more times than I can remember, but I've also seen so many other people say the same thing, I just assume there is a reason for it and don't mention it.

It's like if our Mother Earth/Universe wants people to start waking up to something, it finds ways to seed the same basic thought into whoever's mind is receptive to it at any given moment within that time period. Sounds crazy but history even shows it, with people inventing Calculus and telephones and all sorts of other inventions independently at virtually the exact same time.

reply to post by masqua

I believe the D-ego is more prominent because people are less inclined to hold back when posting with a nondescript username and the result can often be awful.

It's also a definition of cowardice- $10 says a huge majority of people who post like jackasses on here would run screaming if confronted personally and face to face....

Originally posted by bsbray11

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
Sometimes when I read a thread, a poster will remark "I was just thinking about this, this morning". I think, how very odd you should be thinking about this very subject this morning. Really?

But I promise, I was just thinking about this this morning when I was brushing my teeth!!!

I believe it when people post that, saying they were thinking of a topic earlier and then it was posted.

I've experienced it personally more times than I can remember, but I've also seen so many other people say the same thing, I just assume there is a reason for it and don't mention it.

It's like if our Mother Earth/Universe wants people to start waking up to something, it finds ways to seed the same basic thought into whoever's mind is receptive to it at any given moment within that time period. Sounds crazy but history even shows it, with people inventing Calculus and telephones and all sorts of other inventions independently at virtually the exact same time.

This phenomenon even has a name.

reply to post by wylekat


That's a $10 bet I wouldn't take.

The D-ego is emboldened by relative anonymnity and tempts some to say things they'd never think of saying to another person's face.

In real life, such behaviour is much more dangerous.

Anonymity can bring out the worst in people.
As we see almost everyday

Originally posted by silent thunder

This phenomenon even has a name.

Interesting! Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

Like synchronicity, is it remarkable, or is it random?

Originally posted by Jeffdogg ...if you think about it your "D-ego" is your real ego unless you lie to yourself making you think your somebody your not then of course I think you would have bigger issues to worry about then having a big D-ego lol

Not too sure if I'm following what you're saying, but, yeah... thinking I'm something I'm not sure is a problem a psychologist might want to ponder.

Not that it doesn't happen, though. There have been people I've known in Real Life who were so intent on a role they were playing (pre-internet, btw), that it had an effect on their lives. The ego has great powers if it is allowed free reign... superhuman powers, being the re-incarnation of Napolean or Alexander the Great, et al.

We can make ourselves believe all kinds of things about how 'special' we are and that ties directly to an 'Inflated Ego'.

removed one smilie too many

[edit on 9/4/10 by masqua]

I think this relates: Ones has to recognize in ones self that which he is judgeing in another. So when someone acts hostile on here or in real life it's not just because they see something they don't like but they don't like that they can see it in themselves, the ego then takes over. After all it's job it to ensure our continued survival so if we are wrong that could be seen as a threat. I believe this all happens at a subconscious level unless you can become more self aware. So if you catch yourself judging stop yourself, recognise what it is you are judging then change that part of yourself.

Everyone would like to believe they aren't egomaniacs, but that's just part of the ego too. You're not deluded, you ACTUALLY ARE always right and better than everyone else!

Most people cling to their sinking, burning, opinions no matter how many holes have been shot through it, because to them it's just a fight, and they don't want to be seen as a 'loser' in the eyes of others. When you admit you're wrong, the other person seldom sees the virtue in that, and instead it just inflates their own ego, while you only get abuse and lose respect in the eyes of others for displaying what they percieve as weakness. Being wrong, and even, yes, FAILING are parts of the learning process. Avoiding that reality just keeps you stupid.

The world as a whole is pretty bad for it, but it is worse in places where people discuss things that don't have a final conclusive answer, and it's really just a matter of whoever can sound the most right. Like, say, this site for example. I'm pretty new here, but can already sense i've rubbed some people the wrong way by not giving them the credit they think they deserve for making lots of threads or something, and in the eyes of many my words aren't even considered just because i have a recent account. Even though i've been visiting this site since it first opened, and was no stranger to any subject from the beginning. Elitism abounds here, often by people who rail on in length about elitist scum. Maybe they simply hate the idea others think they're better, when they think they're better than everyone.

Killing your ego is never pretty, or as easy as just 'letting go', and i doubt any of us have truly reached that level. The most we can hope for is to just be aware of it and try to quiet that childish thing. I find it hard myself to be patient with certain people and attitudes after all these years, and that can sometimes come off as arrogance, especially if i've had a couple drinks, however i'm aware of it, and try to be nice even in the face of crushing intellectual abuse and ignorance. Which is really all we can do.

This is a very apt and very good thread in my opinion. This is something that we all, inexorably, as human beings either struggle with, or give in to to some degree or another.

The way I try to cope with it is to make every post and every statement I make reflective of the fact that I do not know everything; that compared to many (most, probably, if I'm honest with myself - another important step incidentally) I know next to nothing.

That allows me to remain passive and open, since the acknowledgment that I know next to nothing creates the impetus and requirement within me to seek to know more, which by its very nature requires humility and the willingness to listen.

That's how I ply the effort to be less egocentric as a human entity, at least, both offline and on.

I will confess that I still, at least privately, experience frustration when going out of my way to state opinions as only that and not facts, to remain open minded, to always state that I respect everyone's views, etc. and then still getting flamed or blasted by some people who simply disdain me because they disdain all disagreement in any form. That does still bother me. I am becoming increasingly inclined to let go of those feelings as well, though. (Not quite there yet, though. Lol.)

Originally posted by Risen
Killing your ego is never pretty, or as easy as just 'letting go', and i doubt any of us have truly reached that level. The most we can hope for is to just be aware of it and try to quiet that childish thing. I find it hard myself to be patient with certain people and attitudes after all these years, and that can sometimes come off as arrogance, especially if i've had a couple drinks, however i'm aware of it, and try to be nice even in the face of crushing intellectual abuse and ignorance. Which is really all we can do.

Well said... all we can hope to do is contain or 'squash' the ego. It's not easy and often we forget, but just being aware of what you're about to say or do is a heck of a step in the right direction. Online, that send button is just too quick and we might find ourselves scrambling for the edit button next.

reply to post by AceWombat04


Ever notice how difficult it is to keep from saying "I" all the time? That's how close to the surface the ego always is. Just try explaining anything without using it... almost impossible.

It's something (this person speaking) has difficulty suppressing and (this person speaking) is always aware of it too. Then, when (this person speaking) is trying to explain an opinion (this person speaking) has or some link (this person speaking) has found- it becomes agonizing to avoid using (this person speaking).

Ego... like the phoenix, rises immediately from the ashes.

But, I think it's crazy to try to keep it in check entirely. It can't be done completely at all. trying too hard will drive me batty, so the best thing to do is just hold back as much as (this person speaking) can.

When a topic is near to my heart, I feel like a bombastic fool sometimes... so full of surety that everything I believe is the absolute truth. Add beer or wine and the foolishness becomes completely evident. As an artist, I could talk someones head off for days, but, really, it's all just opinions because art is so subjective. What does anyone REALLY know anyways?

But, you know what(?)... I couldn't be an artist if I didn't have an ego. At least that's my opinion.



[edit on 9/4/10 by masqua]

In regards to the ego. In itself should be a tool for the being.
However it has become distorted and each one of those "I's" that Masqua just mentioned has an agenda. If we are so inclined, we can clean out and organize the egoic closet but not easy and can even be dangerous. Just saying.

I have had these tools for a long time but it is a frightening task.

A good first step is SELF OBSERVATION.

Originally posted by cindymars
A good first step is SELF OBSERVATION.

Can't disagee with that at all. In fact, it's a prerequisite for everything outlined in the OP. Whenever a situation arises where we are working with other people (for instance), whether it's a clerk at check out or a fellow employee, part of us has to step away and observe what we are saying and doing. I know that sounds weird, but it's not that hard to do and, once we try to make a habit of it, we do so without thinking.

It need'nt be just in our relationships with other people either. Consider being on a beach wearing only a bathing suit and wanting to dry off from a swim. You grab a Snickers bar or a pop from your cooler and start ambling along the shoreline into that nice breeze off the water. Ten minutes later, the can is empty or the wrapper is all that's left of the candy bar.

There's NOBODY within sight.

What are you going to do? Toss it or keep it until you can dispose of it properly? Do you feel self-conscious for even thinking about burying the trash in the sand? Do you suddenly feel like someone might be watching? Do you feel self-conscious?

That's self observation and it applies to just about everything we do every day. The ones who ARE self conscious are tempted to do the right thing more often than not.

I did not really get my perspective from Gurdjieff & Ouspensky but they are a good to study if one is interested in these theories.

www.ouspensky.org.uk...

Fascinating thinkers and at the very least an interesting adventure.

[edit on 12-4-2010 by cindymars]

Funny you should mention PD Ouspensky. I'm working my way through both The Fourth Way and A New Model of the Universe. Interesting stuff, for the most part (if you like physics).

However, he does end the first book by saying this:

The Fourth Way, PD Ouspensky (Random House) pg. 457

There is only one thing we can change: we can try to awake and hope to remain awake. If we have to come back, we cannot stop it. We are on a train, the train is going somewhere. All we can do is to pass the time in the train differently - do something useful or spend it quite uselessly.