Is there really such thing as an ego; something that can be seen, felt and heard or does it exist solely in the mind as a thought, an idea? Is an ego merely a concept in the mind? You decide.
CAUTION - The following may offend you:
Externally the ego can be objectively observed in another person's speech and actions. If a person constantly praises himself and lavishes himself with opulence and gifts you might say he is egotistic. But the question is - is he hurting anyone by his actions? You may not like his personality and speech but if he is not hurting anyone, what is the problem? The problem is usually in you as the observer. You may think he is rude, ill-mannered and callow but when you get right down to it, the problem is not him but you. You are letting the outside bother the inside. By observing the "egoistic" person, you have a thought, "What a rude and callow individual," and then an emotion arises such as a feeling of annoyance, anger, outrage or even hatred. Once an emotion occurs usually some type of automatic reaction follows. The reaction may be one of avoidance or you may react by speaking out and saying something offensive, something you may regret later. Or, you might lash out and physically hurt the person.
The reaction you exhibit is the ego - the internal ego. You see yourself as the center of everything. You may think; "That person really annoys me." In this case things only exist in relation to you. Some things you like, others you don't. The feeling of being separate and distinct from others is actually the thing called the "ego." You see yourself as an isolated individual, distinct from other people and other things. Whatever you do is for the good of you. You feel the need to preserve and protect yourself or else everything will not be right.
To be continued.
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