The paradigm of the human ego

Article by: Patrick Lynch

The paradox nature of human behavior and the ethical ideologies that are programmed in to all people. Have you ever thought about why you think, or do things that are contrary to your thinking? Such as self sabotage, or being angry for no reason.

How much thought do you give to your idea of self or ego?

What if you knew the greatest enemy you have lives within you. Most would deny this; this is called minimization, denial, and blame. We all do this, lie to ourselves in very rational ways. Example: "You see a homeless man on the street asking for change, do you A: go around him and tell yourself he would only use the money for alcohol; do you B: give him change and tell yourself I did a good thing; do you C: take the man to the closest fast food establishment and buy him a meal; or do you D: curse him and tell him to get a job?"

Surprisingly up until a few years ago most people would have done "A & D" but given the economic climate people are becoming more aware of people falling through the cracks. But what drove this leap in thought?

The ego or self has a way of both building in empathy and apathy towards others. This especially true in the instance when a person goes through what once he or she ignored before. Now in context the time the ego or self is always telling you what is right or wrong.

Without knowing it one can become a killer, or a thief, or worse; this happens when what we know to be right and wrong is clouded by other emotions or circumstances. It works in this way, a person by themselves is rational and can think for themselves, but add in opinions of others, or social conditioning also known as domestication, or intoxicants, or a mob, or religious fervor. In these circumstances we can take the thought and act on it in immunity or so we think, the chains are dropped of the social contract. 

Understanding what is real is another part of the ego or self’s job. It compares always to what is going on to what has happened in the past or that which we have learned. This is when studies are done to see how reliable witnesses are it has be shown that humans done see what they think they saw. Again this is the ego or self telling you "You know what you saw and you are right!" If this is true how illusionists do their tricks? Misdirection; they know that the ego or self will tell you what you saw, but in truth the whole time the illusionist has been misleading you.

So what is real? "Perception" This defined by a socialization or domestication into a given society by all people. This is the basis for Psychiatry and Psychology.  Understanding one’s own mind or thoughts is a long and hard process; this takes a willingness to look honestly deep within yourself and confronting what most stay away from. Law Enforcement are taught these and use them to see when a person is lying, Illusionists use this to entertain, Psychologist and Psychiatrist use this make diagnosis.

So how do you gain this understanding without years if school or training? This is easy for some and very hard for others. Every person has masks that they wear in this world, or the analogy hats they wear can be used as well. 1: is secret self, this is the person you are when no one is around. 2: is the public self, this is the person you are out with friends and other people. 3: is the private self, this is the person you are in a relationship or marriage. 4: is the work self, this is the person you are to your bosses, employees, coworkers, teachers, classmates, etc. 5: is the family self, this is the person you are with family and close friends. 6: is the spiritual self, this is the person you try to be by using religious or spiritual teachings.

We all have fears, regrets, and or jealousies depending on the person. But the ego or self once again is in control of this, breaking this control starts they process. Once broken how does one gain control over the mind? A key is how one acts and speaks. Our mind has a way of going against us, once you make an assumption to tell yourself a story which becomes true in your mind, but this assumption isn’t true.

Another issue is taking thinks to heart or taking things personally, this once again is the ego or self saying to the mind I have been wronged, but were you, or was it your perception? These are concepts which allow our minds to deceive our behavior. A glance while thinking, or blinking too much, or sweating when it is cold out, you can see these are some of the many tells people have giving away what they are truly thinking.

This is how a polygraph works, it measures breathing, sweat levels on the skin as known as the galvanic skin response, blood pressure, and they employ a pressure pad to measure body movement, these are use in concert to see the underlying processes in the brain. Our ego or self can in this way be seen betraying our thoughts. Now the truth is our minds are always working, and a polygraph is not a perfect instrument.

When all these points are taken together a picture emerges of the power of the ego or self. Many books have been written to this effect. Knowing the enemy within allows you gain control and understanding of not only yourself but others around you. One can never free themselves totally from the ego or self, but once you understand the mechanics of this then it allows for wisdom and success in life. When one starts a journey there isn’t always a destination, the journey is the truth and the ego or self will always be with you.