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Why is it important to master one's ego?
L'ego est un terme utilisé dans la spiritualité orientale, par exemple dans le Bouddhisme. L'ego y désigne le “moi avant tout”, ou plus exactement le moi comme centre des préoccupations, l'egocentrisme, par opposition à chercher à se fondre dans le grand tout en alignant sa volonté sur ce que la raison nous dicte.
We propose a definition of ego that highlights three human instincts that hinder our ability to live in harmony with others:
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L'ego se compose tout d'abord de l'ambition sociale, c'est à dire l'envie d'être au dessus des autres en terme de rang social. On retrouve cette acception dans l'expression populaire “avoir un gros ego”.
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Second, the ego consists of the refusal to submit to constraints, that is, to limit one's pleasure to avoid harming others. This aspect relates to the idea of omnipotence. Frustration is an essential component of any civilized social life.
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Lastly, the ego consists of the desire to bend reality to our worldview, to our beliefs.
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Any spiritual school, as well as any educational method, includes a component of ego mastery. It is, however, important to note that if one wants to achieve significant results in terms of the quality of living together, it is necessary to fight against all three aspects of the ego. Let us now examine the consequences of an insufficient struggle against each aspect of the ego:
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Concerning social ambition, we can take as an example certain Western social environments where the cult of success is practiced. Indeed, they glorify an idealized image of the individual who succeeds through their own efforts, but the sociological reality is an amplification of nepotistic instincts to ensure the success of one's offspring, hence the game of alliances, and the social violence that follows. This leads to serious consequences in terms of stress for all individuals involved.
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Une lutte insuffisante contre la toute puissance se traduit de deux manières. D'une part par des incivilités, avec des individus qui ne respectent plus les règles de vies communes, non pas parce qu'elles ne sont pas adaptées dans la circonstance où ils choisissent de les transgresser, mais parce-que tricher est perçu comme “être plus malin” au lieu d'être source de honte. D'autre part, l'autre n'est plus vu comme un être souffrant lui aussi, avec lequel il convient de faire preuve de compassion et de solidarité, mais comme un outil que l'on peut utiliser au mieux de ses intérêts personnels.
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Lastly, placing our beliefs above facts leads to dogmatism. This prevents us from adapting and modifying our behavior when accumulated evidence shows that our chosen strategy is not working. This results in all levels of harm, from not helping a close person because we believe it is their responsibility to conform, that is, to adopt our own beliefs, to burning heretics at the stake to silence contradiction.
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Let us also clarify that the excesses of the ego have two origins. Some are inherited from—and common to—our social environment. To overcome them, one must be able to individualize oneself in the face of the group, which brings us back to the issue addressed in the question 'What is an adult?'. Others are more individual and stem from narcissistic wounds from childhood. In this case, the first step is to clearly identify the source. Finally, in both cases, a significant part of the work consists of getting rid of simplistic explanations that externalize the problem or beliefs that essentialize it.
Sublimation of the ego
Sublimating the ego consists of putting one's abilities, one's energy, at the service of higher causes, which transcend the self, as opposed to putting them at the service of one's selfish ego. This corresponds to a shift from the pursuit of pleasure to the pursuit of ataraxia. It also corresponds to a shift from the pursuit of individual happiness, potentially at the expense of others, to the pursuit of collective happiness.
Go deeper
See the questions 'Is the purpose of life happiness?' and 'What is the purpose of life?'
For an explanation of the different strategies used by individuals when they do not master the social ambition aspect of their ego, see the question 'What are the consequences of social ambition? The concept of generalized nepotism.'
See the question 'Why is minimalism desirable?'
Finally, see the question 'What is awakening?' which discusses the spiritual path based on the disappearance of the ego.
↣ Definition of ego on Wikipedia
In the Wikipedia article on Jainism, in the 'Absence of pride' paragraph, consult the list of the 8 forms of pride proposed.
↣ Jainism on Wikipedia