When defining the nature of human beings, there are three parts that are used by psychologists. These are the id, ego and super-ego. Each of them is associated with a given characteristic in the individual, and they all have unique characteristics. One cannot exist without either of them, or else he would be an incomplete individual. Of the three parts, ego tends to be the part that relates with realism. It has several characteristics, as indicated by Tolle (59-84). This essay will discuss the concept of ego in detail, trying to demystify this issue.
Tolle (59) observes that ego indicates that individuals are greatly identified by the thoughts in their minds, or the issues in their heads. These include characteristics such as temperament, emotions, opinions, ideas among others. The ego of the individual tends to determine how the individual develops these characteristics. They can sprout from one’s upbringing, culture, background or beliefs.
Ego helps to project what an individual thinks he is, but in real sense, the real self lies under the layers of ego (Tolle, 81). Therefore, individuals who project unfriendly behaviours due to their ego should look deep within, and they can realize their true identity. Otherwise, if they let ego determine their self, then there is the probability that they would be socially unfit.
Following the dictates of ego can make an individual quite hard to deal with. As Tolle (61) observes, ego is filled with resentment, grievances and complaining. It simply sees no good in others except in self. This could probably be associated with the aspect of being ego-centric. That is, an individual simply thinks of no one else but self. All the decisions made by such an individual are therefore driven by selfish ambitions. Such people believe that they are the best at anything and they try by hook and crook to achieve it. This is a core concept of ego; being the only one in control.
Though ego tends to determine who an individual is, it is important to note that all individuals have the same ego deep within; it is only the manner of expressing it that varies (Tolle, 60). As such, it can be seen that ego is not personal, but individuals tend to personalize it. Some characteristics exhibited by individuals such as greed, selfishness, resentment among others are not a real reflection of an individual. Humans should therefore try to master their ego so that they can be easy to be around. Otherwise, letting one’s ego flow freely at the expense of the others can be really problematic. This is the case that affects celebrities (Tolle, 84). They let ego play its part by making them the only people to stand out in every aspect. However, this comes at a cost; they rarely have strong social relations with others. This shows the importance of mastering one’s ego.
My favorite passage in this reading was “Being Right, Making Wrong” (Tolle, 66). This is because the passage is educative, satirical and funny. It explains the aspect of ego where it believes that it is right in all occasions. Therefore, anyone going against this belief is perceived as wrong. In my understanding, this is why egocentric people have a hard time making it in social life. Take two such people who have different opinions. Everyone will believe that he is right and the other one is wrong. Since the two cannot agree, they end up having a conflict. That is how an uncontrolled ego can ruin one’s relationship with others. By all means, ego has to be controlled.
Works Cited
Tolle, Eckhart. The Core of Ego. In: Tolle, Eckhart. A New Earth. (Scanned Documents)
