I have many words that have made a strong impact on my life. Some of these terms have been good, while others have been bad. Those terms that represent strong ideals and morals in one's life are called "God-terms." They are "words to live by." The opposite of this is called "devil-terms." These are terms that represent strong negative anti-God-terms. These words consistently have dark connotations. The ideas they represent are rejected and avoided by people.
For me the word "ego" is a devil term. This term represents the grand flaw of the human race. Spirit is the opposite of this word. Ego is the idea that we as humans are in constant competition with others. We become separated from other humans and ultimately from God. The word "God" represents a spiritual peace and serenity: a kind of connectedness with a greater power. Ego is a separation of us as humans from this serenity. The ideas of ego and spirit are things that I think about everyday and as time goes on I become more aware of it in my life and in others around me.
Ego is the idea that we need to be better than other people and a constant pursuit of it. Ego is a need to announce events and achievements in our life. It can be as simple as not trusting your instincts and inner voice of what is the best next move: needing a consensus on making decisions in life.
Spirit is the opposite of this. Its a silent serenity and trust in your inner voice in life making decisions. My brother once said to me, "life is to be lived and not talked about or discussed." It is not needing to announce achievements and events or constantly seeking advice. All the answers and all needed guidance is already within us. There is no need to look outside of ourselves for approval or a spiritual connection with our great father (or higher power). He has been with us the whole time. He never left our side.
Below is listed the poem by the poet Tagore. He describes ego and how it is a part of us as a human being. Spirit will always be needed to overcome ego.
Ego by Rabindranath Tagore
" I went out alone on the way to my trist but who is this me in the dark? I step aside to avoid his presence but I escape him not. He makes the dust rise from the earth with his swagger. He adds his loud voice to every word I utter. He is my own little self, my lord. He knows no shame but I am ashamed to come to thy door in his company."
On a daily basis, I think about areas of my habitual lifestyle that I have let ego overcome spirit. This is the question I pose to my readers, what are areas of your life you have allowed ego to overrun your sense of spirit? And consequently how can spirit be the main force guiding our lives?
Your post was very interesting to read. It immediately reminded me of Freud’s Id, Ego, and Superego. You talk about “ego” being a “devil term,” and quite frankly, I agree. The way in which Tagore uses the word “ego” is an excellent example of that. However, while playing the devil’s advocate for a minute, I thought of how “ego” could have a positive meaning. According to Freud, the ego is the part of the personality that deals with reality. It’s responsible for channeling the impulses of the id into an acceptable manner in the real world. The “ego” understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish (Tagore’s use of “ego”) can hurt us in the long run. It’s the “ego's” job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. If you look at the word “ego” in this context, it can hold a positive meaning. It’s amazing how one word can possess two very different meanings.
ReplyDeleteWow I actually agree and was going to say something similar to the comment above. You can look at the term "ego" in a positive way because it can relate to having confidence in self and also feeling passionate or most highly of. Depending on the context ego can be looked at in both terms and is not just looked at as a "devil" term. To answer your question, there are times when I let both my ego and spirit guide me in a positive direction that is holy to God and what I feel confident, true, and passionate about within myself. Anything that I have expressed in confidence and openingly with others made me feel proud to know that I ave can prove to others what might have been a doubt.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this blog was correct in regards to viewing the word ego as a devil-term and spirit as a God-term. Ego is definitely not a positive word and has been used to describe people who are too full of themselves. Speaking from personal experience, the word ego has been used to describe myself when I used to view certain people, even my own relatives, were beneath me. Thankfully, I matured quite a bit since then and I am now a more humble person.
ReplyDeleteThe word spirit, on the other hand, is a positive word that has been used often to describe a person’s strength. I have heard used when describing the resilience of a boxer during a fight, when the announcers talk about the boxer’s “fighting spirit”. I feel the word spirit, even though it’s overused at times, is a very positive word.
I love this discussion! Obviously, Viviana's initial post touched a nerve. I hope that one outcome of this discussion is that folks are precise in their use of the words "ego" and "spirit," clarifying their meaning as needed, given the diversity of connotations that both of these words hold for everyone. Well done!
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