Ever wonder why some people become so bitter over seemingly nothing, or why others just walk out of your life for almost no reason? Ever wonder why most of the wars that have been fought over the last thousand years, some of the most brutal out there, even started? Ever wonder about the sheer number of crimes which have occurred, both violent and otherwise, ruining millions of people’s lives in the process? Whether it’s friendships at stake, wars being declared, or crimes being committed, they all start from the same infamous source we have a really hard time letting go of: the ego. So what exactly do we need? Dissolving the ego, my fellow minions and muskrats, is the answer.
Let’s dive into what the ego is, why it’s everywhere, and why it’s OK to admit you’re wrong once in awhile. Trust me, your life won’t end when you admit defeat; I promise.
What Is Your Ego And Why Is It So Hard To Dissolve?
That three letter word is the equivalent of the mini devil dancing with his pitchfork on your shoulder; it’s the alternate version of “you” which harbors all your insecurities, fears, hatred, and judgements.
It’s the wrong to your right; the antagonist to your protagonist. It’s the dark to your light. The ego, or more specifically your ego, is the immature, kicking, crying, and screaming baby. It’s the little shit at the grocery store who throws a hissy fit when his mom doesn’t buy him a candy bar. It’s the red-headed stepchild you always hear about. It’s the privileged old woman who throws a fit because her favorite nail salon can’t fit her in on the fly.
We all have this within us; if we let it come out, all hell can break loose. Unfortunately for everyone involved, it’s not really going anywhere. Why? Because we have trouble dissolving the ego; the best we can do is try to suppress it. To dissolve the ego has been the focal point in many religions’ attainment, especially in Eastern philosophy such as Buddhism. To put the ego aside is a feat the lucky few are able to achieve.
But honestly here’s the deal: striving for such a feat is asinine and a complete waste of your time. You won’t get there, and it’s not really a requirement to have a fulfilled life. If you did want to go that route, it requires living a life which most of us aren’t willing to work towards. And for good reason. Dissolving the ego is literally one of the hardest things you can do in life. It takes constant personal development deep within yourself
So our next best option is simple: realize when the ego acts up, and work to tone it the fuck down. We can, believe it or not, take steps to help lessen it, but it takes an insane amount of effort and constant self-awareness to recognize what triggers it. Well that should be easy.
The Ego Is Everywhere
It’s pervasive. Oh yeah, it’s pervasive all right:
- It’s the reason you take things so personally all the time (he/she said what?).
- It’s the reason you’re such a wreck after a breakup (what did I do wrong to cause it to end?).
- It’s the reason you get pissed off in the car when someone cuts you off or tries to squeeze in (what’s their problem?).
- It’s the reason we don’t like to admit a mistake or say we’re wrong, and it’s the reason we think we’re always right (I know I’m right).
- It’s the reason we judge people so harshly (what are they doing?).
- It’s the reason we don’t like rejection or failure (that’s their fault).
- It’s the reason we don’t progress as much as we should (I already know this, I don’t need to do the work)
And the list goes on and on and on….and on. The ego is everywhere it wants to be and then some, if you let it.
You see, every day the sun comes up, which happens to be daily, we face situations in life giving us multiple ways to react. Which way do we go at the fork? The way of the ego, or the way of your true self? For a large percentage of them, we let our ego do the talking and go left, the path of the ego. And when things go wrong, your mini-devil on your shoulder starts doing a little jig. He loves it.
Admission Isn’t Weakness
I’m the first to admit I still hate when I’m wrong. I hate being rejected. I hate failure to a point I avoid it when I can. I fear things because of how it’ll make me feel. These feelings won’t ever go away, on some level. You, like me, will deal with them for the rest of your existential existence. But I’m also the first to admit when my ego acts out. In doing enough self-work and meditation, I can basically pinpoint the exact moments where it happens. Most of the time, at least.
The next time you act out, think about your ego and more than likely, you’ll realize it’s the reason you’re being a little punk ass. Admitting you’re being a little punk ass isn’t really bad, either. How do you expect to get over it if you can’t admit it? That’s the problem with today’s world: we never take responsibility and admit our mistakes. In doing so, we let our ourselves continually act out, and it becomes impossible dissolving the ego.
Remember, the first step in any process of atonement or “fixing” is admitting your mistakes.
Don’t let your ego get in the driver’s seat. Learn to slap its face the next time it rears its ugly head. That’ll teach it a good lesson.
