Welcome back all! This week we will be continuing our exploration of self. Previously we approached the idea of consciousness from the stance of the observer. Which opened us up to the concept of separateness and how this promotes awareness. Awareness is paramount not only concerning our outwardly actions but self awareness which introspectively examines our inner motivations.
Now in order to be self aware, one must first be conscious of and/or have a sense of self.
How we indeed initially discover a sense of self is established in the early stages of development. A child is able to distinguish between itself and it’s parents, self and an object through interaction e.g a child touching a hot stove and also through language.
- That is mummy
- Mummy loves me
- I am not mummy
- Mummy is not me
- I am me
(What a logical newborn!)
This phenomenon is first noted in children who are deemed immediately conscious, but at which stage this evolves into a state of self consciousness is debatable. Once self consciousness is realised and a self image is found, the ego is committed to the protecting of our inner selves. The ego is a defence of sorts from humiliation, rejection and a host of other uncomfortable feelings. The keyword here is uncomfortable, it’s reasonable to assume such feelings are unpleasant therefore the ego’s defences are a good thing right?
Concerning awareness we must consider the presence of the ego in every individual and how we often succumb to the whims of this part of us. The ego was famously explored by Freud in his psychoanalytic theory where he considered human personality to be composed of three parts:
- The id
- The ego
- The superego
ID: Developed during the early stages, as newborns the id is concerned with the meeting of needs with little/no consideration of the reality of the situation. Freud considered this part of the psyche to be the part concerned with pleasure
EGO: This part caters to the needs of the id whilst also considering how those needs can be met in reality, so considers the consequences of one’s actions
SUPEREGO: The moral part of us that is developed through our caregivers and is also linked to the conscience as it distinguishes from right and wrong
** In many schematics, this tripartite is illustrated as an individual being the Ego and alike a caricature with a devil and angel on each shoulder. Interestingly the id is depicted as the devil and the superego as the angel. The id and superego, predominantly depicted as such for memorability and an easier distinction does pose the question (concerning the id) whether the seeking and fulfilment of pleasure is inherently bad. This enters the realm of hedonism especially concerning insatiable appetites pertaining to sex, gambling, gluttony etc. Now in a cooperative society, it is somewhat easy to grasp why such behaviours although not particularly dangerous to others, can if left unchecked spiral. The problem in such cases essentially is excess, all things in moderation you know! These can be referred to as vices, and many fall prey as is expected with the fallibility of the human race. The vices or more famously known as the 7 deadly sins can be contrasted with the 7 lovely virtues. Temperance ( one of Aristotle’s 4 Cardinal Virtues) may indeed be the remedy to these vices.
In everyday language, ego is generally affiliated with negative connotations. Primarily because the ego is considered to be self serving and inflated, traits often frowned upon in a cooperative society. Perhaps in light of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory we can consider this misconstrued perception of the ego to be the illustration of an ego powerless to the whims of the id. In order to understand the ego, one must first consider the desires and motivations of the id.
Here’s a scenario :
A telephone conversation with a friend who is primarily concerned with how they are made to feel in the conversation i.e how their jokes are received, how fervently and ecstatically you respond to their stories and the way they monopolise conversations for an ‘ego boost’.
Imagine..
You’re aware of the effect you’re having on the other person and painfully aware of your self having the experience. As the conversation goes on, you are very attentive to whether the other party is reacting to you in the way you want them to react.
In such a case you’re essentially following the conversation as an interested spectator rather than an active participant. The main preoccupation is your own ego, in such a moment you are almost distant from reality, a spectator to the reactions to your ego.
This is an instance of pride.
In such a moment, the ‘devil’ of your own id on your shoulder draws you further from the present moment and immerses you in self inflation.
If you’ve ever been in such a situation on the receiving end you can sympathise with how tiresome the conversation can be. If you’ve ever been the egoist (come on, be honest) you can understand how wincingly painful it is to have a conversation succumbing to the whims of satisfying your ego. #dontforceit
Compare that to talking to a friend and being unoccupied with the impulses of the ego, it‘s altogether more authentic. Genuine interest in one another, laughing when things are funny and telling jokes just because and not to impress an audience.
Pride
Pride is one of the 7 deadly sins and has been perfectly coined in the phrase:
“Pride before a fall”
“ Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”- Proverbs 16:18 NIV
Quick observation****Might I add that most of the wisdom we praise today, has a foundation of biblical wisdom. ****
Let’s do a brief mindfulness exercise (yay)
*PAUSE* When was the last time you exhibited pride ? Be honest…
Now many of us in this lovely yet awful digital age may think to examples including technology e.g
- Not reaching out to someone we miss (booo)
- Refusing to double text ( c’monn)
- Pretending to not see someone just in case you get ignored (ooft)
Very often pride has many faces differing from our stereotyoical view of pride. Many times the resulting actions from wounded pride is pettiness, withdrawal or perhaps unwarranted anger. This tends to come from a place of self inflation and perhaps underlying uncomfortable feelings and memories. We can picture this if we consider a balloon, lets says a red balloon 🎈- well inflated and robustly blown up. Now as pride or an elevated sense of self is wounded or hurt, the balloon slowly or even rapidly reduces. This is what happens when we project an image and have an expectation of how we want to be responded to. However when reality hits and our expectations deviate largely from reality in the reactions of loved ones, friends and colleagues – we deflate. Bruh.
Social media and those that are immersed in it all the time can produce a preoccupation with the ego and its needs. Self awareness of tendencies towards so called egotistic behaviour for ‘ego strokes’ require a level of mindfulness. Irrespective of the jollies of social media echo chambers, we should all strive to break through egoism as we all struggle with it to some degree. To live an authentic life so that we aren’t slave to our id’s, its important to experience reality for what it is. Ego death isn’t a turn to a life of humility consisting of abjection and insincere meekness but rather a genuine reverence for reality and a present awareness.
Wise words from Master Shifu ( if you know, you know)
“You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the “present.”
In conclusion, home is in your body. Not in significant others, friends, cherished places, sentimental objects or idols. Self (psyche) or the soul inhabits the body, the physical vessel which carries it around and physically interacts and percieves the world at large. In our daily lives, let’s aim to relinquish our superficial hold on life and endeavour to be mindful of our inner workings and incidentally the only thing we have any control of.
#letgoandletGod
#theuniverserisestomeetyou
#itiswhatitis
– the inhabitant
‘Ave a gander
The Ego and the Id Sigmund Freud
For your viewing pleasure:
- YT Video: Bishop Barron on Pride, Humility and Social Media
- YT Video: India.Arie The Universe Does Rise Up To Meet You| SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network
- Ed, Edd & Eddy
- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Brotherhood
- The Seven Deadly Sins (Netflix anime)
For your listening pleasure:
- Homebody Nai Palm
- Slow Down Hawk House
- Mirrors A2
- Oh My God Afronaut Zu
- Insomnia Alfa Mist ft. Emmavie
Album Spotlight: Ego Death The Internet
thefulbe 