When did ego become a bad thing?

/sadface

I must have missed a memo somewhere.

I have noticed for several months now, from the context in which it is used, that ego is now considered a bad thing. Prima fascia. There is no substantiation, no explanation, and definitely no demonstration of how ego is bad. It is just thrown in at the emotional leverage point where what-ever-is-being-discussed is now considered bad. As in dumb bad. As in; it must stop.

So I think I get how the word ego is being used now. But I don't understand why, or when, it happened. This makes me giggle. Cause in the world of the Id, the ego, and the super ego; if one removes one of the three legs, well... the tripod won't stand any more. The whole personality will just fall over.

There may be something else going on, but I don't know what it is. I'm expecting some kind of an answer that comes from a recent movie, video, song, or event, where the public reaction is one of aversion to ego. So what is going on. Can someone give me a clue?

Am I guilty of it by asking this question.
When did ego become a bad thing?


David Grouchy

How do you define ego? I believe in human nature and individualism. I could care less who thinks I should be conforming to anyone else's standers.

I think that ''ego'' is just used as short-hand for ''egotistical''.

Egotistical people tend to be arrogant, conceited, selfish and believe that the world revolves around them. These traits aren't usually appreciated by other people, so their persona is obviously going to be problematic in interactions with other members of society, and has the potential for causing friction in interpersonal relationships.


I also think that ''ego'' is mentioned a lot on here, in relation to spirituality, especially in regards to the Eastern philosophies and new-age beliefs. I think the idea being along the lines that separating your ''self'' from your spirit, will bring you closer and connect you with the universe, as a whole.

reply to post by davidgrouchy

You're probably caught up by the fact that there are a million and one definitions of ego.

Ego used in the "bad" sense typically refers to arrogance, which in many ways is the opposite of genuine pride. Genuine pride is about proving things to yourself; arrogance is about proving things to others. The latter is often driven by a lack of genuine pride.

And yes, ego in this sense is very destructive and is largely responsible for wars and tyranny, IMHO.

Originally posted by NewlyAwakened

And yes, ego in this sense is very destructive and is largely responsible for wars and tyranny, IMHO.

Thanks for the paragraph you wrote. That helps a lot.
I hope you don't mind if I take issue with this sentence, though.

Isn't that just code language for male bashing?

:|
David Grouchy

Originally posted by NewlyAwakened
reply to post by davidgrouchy

 

You're probably caught up by the fact that there are a million and one definitions of ego.

There is amillion definitions of all words. No word has a meaning that all people in there mind think like another. We just accept words have meanings closest to what we think they mean and what we think others mean.

Originally posted by davidgrouchy
Isn't that just code language for male bashing?

Heh, perhaps. But I would say women have arrogance too, which is also destructive, though not as often in a violent cataclysmic way.

In terms of working with the material world, I would say that (as a generalization) men are both the most constructive and the most destructive sex.

Why? Ask Nature.

The collective ego is the architect of the civilization.
The unchecked individual ego got us into the universal mess we're in now.
No room for the individual ego outside of this planet.
Shed the ego, earn your wings.

Originally posted by xiphias
The collective ego is the architect of the civilization.
The unchecked individual ego got us into the universal mess we're in now.
No room for the individual ego outside of this planet.
Shed the ego, earn your wings.

Ooooohh Kayyy.

So it is an enchanted word, just like I thought.

For instance.

I am an architect, and I am an individual.
How do I fit into the quote above.
I can't, it's designed to rule
me out of the picture.

Also notice how the last sentence compares to what was stated in the original post.

Shed the ego, earn your wings

verses...

Cause in the world of the Id, the ego, and the super ego; if one removes one of the three legs, well... the tripod won't stand any more.

But I guess that's ok,
cause like, there is the promise of wings here.


David Grouchy

reply to post by davidgrouchy


A grand question you pose in this thread, not one I'm sure I can answer definitively... however I do tend to agree that ego is a bad thing. I usually define it as clinging to the illusion of separateness, which is akin to eastern philosophies. One who thinks they are separate from the world they live in will build up barriers, while one who understands contrary will tend to cooperate and work together for the benefit of all and alleviating suffering.

Some references to check out(besides eastern philosophy):

A great documentary called 'Century of the Self'(1 of 4):

Google Video Link

Reich's Mass Psychology of Fascism

Of course, Freud and Lacan and others have also discussed the phallus symbol.

Then there are those that see how much the male part of our psyche/ego has raped and pillaged the [feminine] world - by [masculine] 'mining' and other such concepts.

divine feminine

So really, it is not ego that is bad, it is unbalanced ego with illusory boundaries built around fear of separation... IMO.

Terence Mckenna suggested that ever since our cultures have suppressed mainstream use of entheogens(which dissolve boundaries) for the past couple thousand years, the worlds institutions have lost touch with reality to such a great extent that now we are ruled by the least capable among us... which you can tell is more than obviously the case.

My scrambled 2 cents for now...

reply to post by davidgrouchy


As pointed out by above poster, the ego has at least two distinct mainstream meanings, one is psychological and another one is spiritual. In psychology a healthy ego is not bad thing but beneficial. In some spiritual currents, the ego is regarded as an obstacle to spiritual development and root of evil in men; they are called legion.

In most people (as regarding the state of affairs) the ego has many sides that are harmful especially from the social and altruistic viewpoint. Our selfish graving for whatever causes many griefs for us, because we hurt ourselves and our neighbours. In my opinion, ego is inevitable part of our psyche and we should work it towards the direction we want.

-v

Originally posted by davidgrouchy
I am an architect, and I am an individual.
How do I fit into the quote above.
I can't, it's designed to rule
me out of the picture.

The ego is what we are not, yet it is where we come from.
The individual is who we are meant to be, collectively not uniformly.

If it is and always has been your heart, then you as an individual architect is who you are.
If not, then you are your ego until further notice.

Sorry, I like to be vague.

Ego became a "bad" thing about the same time that "individualism", "personal achievement", and "personal resposibility" became "bad" things and "group think", "collectivism" and "victimism" became "good" things.

Listen friend,

You ask a question but are unwilling to seek the answer.

To expand up on what's already been said.

Before 'ego' we were all one conscious being. As is described in almost all ancient texts, spiritual wars were fought during our evolution as Satan and Lucifer introduced individuality, ego, different thoughts, opinions, - separation from the Unity.

Imagine a tree, alive - but with no animal savagery desire to conquer. As we evolved over time, and with great influence from powerful beings, we grew more and more into seclusion, we tore away from the One.

Ego isn't BAD, but it IS separation from God.

Our main purpose of living is to conquer ego, else we will die and be resurrected on earth again and again and again until we learn that our source is NOT individual, but one.

I know this is all a stretch, and it may be hard to understand - but that is because LANGUAGE and THOUGHT is our ego, individuality, and differentiating. It takes much meditation to understand beyond seperation.

reply to post by davidgrouchy


DavidGrouchy, the word "ego" became a dirty word more than 40 years ago when "hip" Americans discovered Eastern religions. Within the context of Eastern religions, ego simply refers to a false mental construct where the "I" (or Consciousness) identifies with a limited, finite, TEMPORARY identity defined by one's physical body and personal interpretation of one's experiences & memories in this particular incarnation.

A person would describe himself as belonging to a particular sex, race, nationality, socio-economic bracket, etc. It's not unusual for a person to appraise himself according to the value placed on his physical characteristics by his culture. Is thin in? Is he tall enough? Is his face & form symmetrical? This is especially true for females (whose value as sex commodities) is defined by what the culture considers "beautiful."

While it's true that a person is a spirit experiencing a temporary phyical form, what these same "hipsters" do not seem to understand is that having an "ego" is necessary to maintaining a physical form. In fact, the tradition states that once a person reaches the highest samadhi (transcendental consciousness permanently merged with God), one canNOT keep a physical body beyond forty days.

So having an ego is not bad, it fact an ego is necessary to be able to function in this material world, but having an unpurified, ignorant ego is bad. An unpurified, ignorant ego is "egotistical" -- insensitive to the needs of others, ruthless in fulfilling its needs no matter what it costs others.

All of this is arguable, of course. After all, one has to look out for one's own interests. Often one can only guess as to what someone else needs and that guess may be wrong.

Which is why most traditions prompt us to find Wisdom (which resides within us) so that we may make the right decisions. That center where Wisdom, Truth, Love, God resides is always aware of what is needed.

Originally posted by SeaWind
reply to post by davidgrouchy

 

an "ego" is necessary to maintaining a physical form

I'm very glad you said that!

Truth.

reply to post by derickonfire


So surely you understand how your use of particular language can detract from your overall message...

Are 'Satan' and 'Lucifer' psychical archetypes or are they mysterious demons?

Or are they symbols for astronomical entities such as Venus... much more likely IMO...

But when you say 'God' after it, it kind of runs over what I think you mean... which is the Universe/One - especially in the context you have used Satan and Lucifer...

I do understand what you are trying to say, don't get me wrong... just nitpicking I guess.

Originally posted by davidgrouchy

When did ego become a bad thing?

Only through the ego, one's identification with their mind and its personal positions towards nonexistent relative constructs one interprets their existence in such dual terms as good and bad.

So like in most cases, the question is actually the answer.

We had a fun time discussing the whole shpeel over here ... give or take a few thrashing egos.

It becomes a bad thing when a person's sense of self importance is such that they think they can do no wrong, and as in the case of the self described former "War President" G.W.Bush, even the lives of others don't mean a damn thing!

reply to post by davidgrouchy


Ego has many definitions.

IMO, the ego is not inherently "bad". However, once or twice a year I like to completely tear down my ego and rebuild. I always come back stronger and with the motivation to make a major positive change in my life.

I feel a delicate balance of control between my ego and self. Typically, my ego is running the show - making decisions, reacting emotionally - but I can apply some will power and tell it no, reason with it to a certain point.

There are entheogens that have been very beneficial to me developing a healthier ego. If you ever have an interest in exploring that path I would suggest finding a local herb shop and asking about them.