A number of responses on this thread use alternative definitions of the concept of ego.
-----Original Message----- From: Molly <[email protected]> To: "Minds Eye" <[email protected]> Sent: Sat, Aug 28, 2010 1:36 pm Subject: [Mind's Eye] Re: Understanding: Mind, Consciousness, Thought I believe the Banks model defines ego as a system of thought. I see no contradiction with that and what you are saying here. On Aug 28, 11:55 am, [email protected] wrote: > One of the serious confusions in this thread is the alternative definitions of the concept of ego. The common understanding of ego is > > equated with conceit - as in egotistical. Used in psychoanalysis the concept of ego (along with the superego, the id and the self ) are components of the structure of the self. From this perspective the concept of ego functions like a traffic cop mediating between the desires of the id (I want what I want when I want it ) and the super ego (the voice of laws: shoulds and should nots). > > In short the ego psychoanalytically is the voice of reason - thoughtfulness. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: gruff <[email protected]> > To: "Minds Eye" <[email protected]> > Sent: Sat, Aug 28, 2010 10:09 am > Subject: [Mind's Eye] Re: Understanding: Mind, Consciousness, Thought > > Allow me to introduce Occam's Razor, which was first articulated by > > William of Occam in the thirteenth century. It postulates that all > > else being equal, simpler explanations should be preferred over more > > complex ones. > > What is being explored here sounds more like religion than science. > > Can we slice it down to it's simplest form? > > Ego! I suspect all animals have it to one degree or another but with > > regard human beings, we could not live without one. Scaling ego, I'd > > have to say that the more insecure the individual the greater the > > ego. I suspect there is a level or range of ego which allows us to > > exist but when our consciousness goes below that level, we shrivel, > > and when it goes above that level we swell up like an over-inflated > > balloon and burst.
