I think existence itself is ego, that is, ego that is manifest in physical form. Gwill is right by addressing the various uses of term ego in this thread, such as inflated or deflated ego, ego trip, ego maniac etc. I see the ego being the core of life itself, the core of who we are, the internal that is expressed outward. Animals also are ego displayed by domination, alpha, acquiescence and deferment to the top dog etc. Ego at the moment of conception defines who and what we are but after one has developed within the environmental world ego branches off into splinter groups of ego, alter ego and such and at which time the term ego takes on all mundane aspects. Ego lives beyond our physicality, beyond anything we can imagine. Ego is a part of cosmology. All physical beings are on a "ego trip", literally.
On Aug 28, 3:23 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > It might be confused with pride or self-preservation. I agree with > your definition. > > Here is another angle: "Does Your Language Shape How You Think?" by > Guy Deutscher http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html > I was thinking, while reading this article, that there are even more > culprits than language such as gender, class, religion and so on. > > On Aug 28, 10:55 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.- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -
