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What if we didn't have ego?

hjgbujhghg

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There are many people who think the basic problem of humanity is our ego...that we are ego centered/egotistical creatures. But isn't our ego what differ us from animals? Animals are not aware of their existence, they are not aware of their ownselves, so they don't have ego.
Because of our ego, we're not only aware of our existence, but it also makes us desire, to have power over others, appreciation of our accomplishments, we want to be noticed, we want to know who we are, we are aware of our psychical needs, we are aware of our wisdom, or power and so we use all the characteristics to build up our egos.
So I wonder, do you think awareness of our ego comes with inteligence? What if we would be inteligent as we are, but wouldn't have egos? What kind of effect would it have on human nature?
 

yeghor

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There are many people who think the basic problem of humanity is our ego...that we are ego centered/egotistical creatures. But isn't our ego what differ us from animals? Animals are not aware of their existence, they are not aware of their ownselves, so they don't have ego.

Because of our ego, we're not only aware of our existence, but it also makes us desire, to have power over others, appreciation of our accomplishments, we want to be noticed, we want to know who we are, we are aware of our psychical needs, we are aware of our wisdom, or power and so we use all the characteristics to build up our egos.
So I wonder, do you think awareness of our ego comes with inteligence? What if we would be inteligent as we are, but wouldn't have egos? What kind of effect would it have on human nature?

I think it's the other way around, our ego is what gives us intelligence and self-awareness... If we didn't have any ego, we would be automatons\beasts... driven by basic impulses like fear, pleasure, satisfaction, pain etc... Ego filters, restricts, manages those impulses into feasible forms...

In case of too much ego I guess we would be too saturated and blinded with ourselves that we wouldn't be able to see ourselves for what it really is... Whatever we did would be the right\correct thing to do... External influence and concerns (impulses) would not play any role in decision making and action... We would become a closed system isolated from the external world...
 

gromit

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Yeah too much of a good thing becomes bad.

So too much ego is harmful to becoming a "full" person, but not enough is harmful too.

I think it's good to be pleased with yourself for a job well done. And to think that you deserve good things. But in balance with respect for others and understanding of your place in the bigger picture.

I don't really know what makes us different from animals, if there is one single thing, or if it's a matter of degree.
 

Typh0n

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I don't really know what makes us different from animals, if there is one single thing, or if it's a matter of degree.

Im not sure either. I once had an art history teacher tell us artistic creativity is possibly what sets us apart. But then I see the painting elephants and chimpanzees and I beg to differ. I dont think there is really one thing that truly sets us apart from animals, I do think our intelligence combined with opposeable thumbs explains our technological prowess, though I wouldt say self awareness is a natural(ie cause determined) thing. I think conscioussness is non natural but I also think many higher mammals posses it.
 

prplchknz

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There are many people who think the basic problem of humanity is our ego...that we are ego centered/egotistical creatures. But isn't our ego what differ us from animals? Animals are not aware of their existence, they are not aware of their ownselves, so they don't have ego.
Because of our ego, we're not only aware of our existence, but it also makes us desire, to have power over others, appreciation of our accomplishments, we want to be noticed, we want to know who we are, we are aware of our psychical needs, we are aware of our wisdom, or power and so we use all the characteristics to build up our egos.
So I wonder, do you think awareness of our ego comes with inteligence? What if we would be inteligent as we are, but wouldn't have egos? What kind of effect would it have on human nature?

I'll find an abusive sociopath that can completely destroy your ego, and you can tell us what it's like
 

meowington

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There are many people who think the basic problem of humanity is our ego...that we are ego centered/egotistical creatures. But isn't our ego what differ us from animals? Animals are not aware of their existence, they are not aware of their ownselves, so they don't have ego.

It would definitely solve about 95% of the the things we fuzz about.

But it's impossible. Ego comes with the package. Even in animals (some of them really do recognize themselves : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-awareness).

I'd be more than happy if people could tone it down a little.
 

INTP

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Well this is what wiki says about functions of ego(which wouldnt obviously be there without ego):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_psychology#Ego_functions said:
Reality Testing: The ego’s capacity to distinguish what is occurring in one’s own mind from what is occurring in the external world. It is perhaps the single most important ego function because negotiating with the outside world requires accurately perceiving and understanding stimuli. Reality testing is often subject to temporary, mild distortion or deterioration under stressful conditions. Such impairment can result in temporary delusions and hallucination and is generally selective, clustering along specific, psychodynamic lines. Chronic deficiencies suggest either psychotic or organic interference.

Impulse Control: The ability to manage aggressive and/or libidinal wishes without immediate discharge through behavior or symptoms. Problems with impulse control are common; for example: road rage; sexual promiscuity; excessive drug and alcohol use; and binge eating.

Affect Regulation: The ability to modulate feelings without being overwhelmed.

Judgment: The capacity to act responsibly. This process includes identifying possible courses of action, anticipating and evaluating likely consequences, and making decisions as to what is appropriate in certain circumstances.

Object Relations: The capacity for mutually satisfying relationship. The individual can perceive himself and others as whole objects with three dimensional qualities.

Thought Processes: The ability to have logical, coherent, and abstract thoughts. In stressful situations, thought processes can become disorganized. The presence of chronic or severe problems in conceptual thinking is frequently associated with schizophrenia and manic episodes.

Defensive Functioning: A defense is an unconscious attempt to protect the individual from some powerful, identity-threatening feeling. Initial defenses develop in infancy and involve the boundary between the self and the outer world; they are considered primitive defenses and include projection, denial, and splitting. As the child grows up, more sophisticated defenses that deal with internal boundaries such as those between ego and super ego or the id develop; these defenses include repression, regression, displacement, and reaction formation. All adults have, and use, primitive defenses, but most people also have more mature ways of coping with reality and anxiety.

Synthesis: The synthetic function is the ego’s capacity to organize and unify other functions within the personality. It enables the individual to think, feel, and act in a coherent manner. It includes the capacity to integrate potentially contradictory experiences, ideas, and feelings; for example, a child loves his or her mother yet also has angry feelings toward her at times. The ability to synthesize these feelings is a pivotal developmental achievement.


Jung also listed few more(and didnt list all of those). I decided to make new topic about this: http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69348


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_death

This guy I know apparently experienced ego death after taking a lot of mushrooms.

I think ego death is a bit silly word for this, because it doesent actually die, it just takes a short break cuz too much info coming from unconscious during strong trips.
 

Mole

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Ego mediates between our super ego and our id by reality testing.

So a strong ego is necessary to bring our super ego and our id in harmony with reality.

We are seduced to give up our ego by those who want to manipulate us through command on one hand, and through our desires on the other.
 

Typh0n

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Ego mediates between our super ego and our id by reality testing.

So a strong ego is necessary to bring our super ego and our id in harmony with reality.

We are seduced to give up our ego by those who want to manipulate us through command on one hand, and through our desires on the other.

Suppression of the ego is a profiteable slogan to all sorts of gurus.
 

rav3n

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There are many people who think the basic problem of humanity is our ego...that we are ego centered/egotistical creatures. But isn't our ego what differ us from animals? Animals are not aware of their existence, they are not aware of their ownselves, so they don't have ego.
Because of our ego, we're not only aware of our existence, but it also makes us desire, to have power over others, appreciation of our accomplishments, we want to be noticed, we want to know who we are, we are aware of our psychical needs, we are aware of our wisdom, or power and so we use all the characteristics to build up our egos.
So I wonder, do you think awareness of our ego comes with inteligence? What if we would be inteligent as we are, but wouldn't have egos? What kind of effect would it have on human nature?
As a species, without ego we would die out. Ego is how we justify slaughtering competitive species.

That said, what a lovely thought. Wire cut the ball and chain.
 

Opal

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Ego mediates between our super ego and our id by reality testing.

So a strong ego is necessary to bring our super ego and our id in harmony with reality.

We are seduced to give up our ego by those who want to manipulate us through command on one hand, and through our desires on the other.

Agreed. A damaged and malfunctioning ego is dangerous, but ego death is counterproductive to functioning (overdoing psychedelics seems to degrade ego function). In my experience, those who preach salvation through ego death are toxic or live like ghosts.
 

Mole

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Agreed. A damaged and malfunctioning ego is dangerous, but ego death is counterproductive to functioning (overdoing psychedelics seems to degrade ego function). In my experience, those who preach salvation through ego death are toxic or live like ghosts.

The work of the ego is integration. And the integrity is the virtue of the ego.

Integration is hard work. And integration is a work of a lifetime. And the prize is integrity.

There are short cuts to integrity such as ideology or gurus. But the short cuts only short change us.
 
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Ego is more or less our self-constructed operating systems to deal with our surroundings, and especially other people/relationships.

“Give us this day our daily mask.”
 

AzulEyes

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I believe in God and that our test is being able to submit our ego to Him. To spend our lives fighting the urge to want to be all that and to admit, "I'm not all that. But my Creator IS." It is a freeing feeling- not a captive feeling. I think this is the entire essence of the journey and test we bear as humans in this life.
 

Zarathustra

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Ego is more or less our self-constructed operating systems to deal with our surroundings, and especially other people/relationships.

“Give us this day our daily mask.”

I believe that is persona.

Ego would seem to be related, but not exactly the same.
 

Zarathustra

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I find [MENTION=3325]Mole[/MENTION]'s posts in this thread to be unusually insightful
 

Zarathustra

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I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately.

I find this quote by Jung to be highly relevant to me at my current juncture in life: "The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it."

I don't think simply completely letting go of our ego is necessarily the right thing to do, nor even possible (and, if one were to do it, one would probably end up drooling all over themselves or rambling incoherently to people who aren't actually there or something).

What I do find good advice, tho, is kinda what the Enneagram teaches (and Jung teaches in the quote above -- they're actually both essentially the same thing, which is pretty cool, when you think about it, as, at this site, we basically study Jungian and Naranjoan psychology): that there is our true self, our soul, our divine spirit, purusha, our essence, and then there is our sense of self, our false self, our idea about who we are, our ego (a la Karen Horney's ideal self vs real self), and that our ego, this false sense of self that we have, has these associated defenses that accumulate as we grow up, to protect the self, but that, eventually, we outgrow these defenses, and these defenses actually become maladaptive, and start doing more damage than good, and that, as this happens, the more this happens, the more we start becoming neurotic, and that our goal must be to rid ourselves of these ego defenses that have become obsolete, and no longer serve their purpose, and have actually started negatively affecting us, and, instead, just be, be present, live in the now, as who you really are, without the unnecessary defenses, just residing in our divine essence, our truth, our essence.

As opposed to trying to be something, trying to match some image of who we think we are, we instead just BE.

What will happen when we are in this state of being is who we really are.

Not some charade aimed at attempting to be who we think we ought to be.

Anyway, in this sense, I think getting rid of, or overcoming, the ego is actually a good thing.

Or, perhaps better said, understanding what the ego is and putting it in its proper place is a good thing.

The ego, in this understanding, is an unnecessary relic of your past, preventing you from being your actual self.
 
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