Very difficult question indeed!!
Ego is the absence of true knowledge of who we really are.
Ego also means, “grasping to the self.”
Ego is a delusory notion of “I”, “me”, “my” and “mine,” self and all the concepts, ideas, desires, and activities that will sustain that false construction or the falsehood.
Ego is the psychological part of the mind that reacts to reality and has a sense of individuality.
Spiritual Perspective says that the ego is the enemy within.
This enemy that we have inside us is not our self. It’s not our personality. It’s only a temptation. This is the seed of the problem ego. We confuse our personality with this sin. We marry these two things and we have a wrong impression of who we are.
Ego is your self-image. Ego is a social mask that wants approval and power. Your ego feels better when you have a nice fast Ferrari, a penthouse suite and expensive designer clothes. But it is annoyed, anxious or frustrated when it doesn’t get what it wants.
Ego gives you the sense of individuality, false separation from others that often make you want to conquer all and tread on all those in your way.
Ego is about finding happiness by looking at the outside self. The ego projects power and attach meaning onto external things, that truly have no or little intrinsic power / meaning / existence.
Ego puts labels on things - prejudice. It is tougher to look beneath the labels, categories. It’s on the inside that counts.
Ego cannot differentiate between temporary happiness and long lasting happiness.
Long lasting happiness is more based on attitude / behavior (compassion, contentment, education, ethics) and paradigm (wisdom, clarity, understanding, acceptance).
Ego is an addict always wanting more, constantly seeking approval of others, in competition for energy, craving for power and control. The ego is the one that wants to be right all the time and have the last word.
Ego is attached to the outcome like what’s it for me?
Ego always looks for selfish craving - me vs. them.
Ego power is false power because power goes with the object.
False power goes with the position / title (director etc.). As soon as cars, luxury goods, status, jobs, partners are gone we lose your power. Because we were relying on those external objects for energy, when they are gone, (and they will be gone or change), we may become depressed / unhappy and probably turn to other ego stimulating substances to distract your ego self.
Ego does not want to be humiliated or lose face.
Ego will be nasty if needs be, to get its way and not lose face.
Ego wants to be right, and blame others.
Ego blames others to cover its own inadequacies.
Ego wants to provoke.
Ego does things to be first, to be the best, or because everyone else is doing it (sheep) or not doing it (rebel).
The negative ego wants to get its own way. The negative ego is self-centered. It wants to survive and protects its self-image. So, the ego will use any of the following techniques to get its way:
The ego self will:
Be self centered
Manipulate
Want control
Want respect
Impress
Provoke
Grasp
Crave
Desire
Inflict pain
Possess
Cause fear
Cause guilt
Cause disharmony
Cause mischief
Want to be the best
Want to be approved
Be loud
Be moody
Be centre of attention
Separate and divide
Judge
Use the past
This is all done to boost up self image (social mask), and to increase feeling of self-importance &
Self-superiority.
Often we don’t respond to others, we react from our ego self!!
It is all about “Ego”.