What is Ego???

[Psychoid]

This thread is, of course, inspired from GOD's thread "What is Ego-death ???"

http://www.psychonaut.com/index.php?opt ... 82&lang=fr

While reading the topic I've realized that we all seem to have a different concept of what the Ego is... and before we can define what is ego-death, we have to first define what is the Ego.

So, what is your definition of the Ego?

 

[random]

I think is a thin shell ,that almost everyone has, that represents what one thinks he represents, not only to itself but also to his surroundings/other people or even a god. This carrys all sorts of things like: I live on the planet earth, in this country, I speak this language fluently and also that one, I like this colours, I don't like this, I love that, I work in this job, I study this or that, I have a house, I don't have a house, I have long hair, I have a ego, etc...

But there is ways to deal with what we call Ego. There's many people that deal with it in, my prespective, a wrong way (doesn't mean I deal with it right, though I think I fool myself many times).
Being counscious of our existance (whatever this is) with this Universe is a beautifull thing.

Some people feel really happy for being at a great restaurant or mcdonalds, or watching tv, or whatever. I don't blame them.
Others feel happy and Alive for being simply aware of the the moment, of the change and of the mistery of Being.

You can use a knife to kill someone or to cut some vegetables for the dinner.

 

[user_1919]

The ego is what keeps man sane. Its what seperates one another from eachother. The ego is a culturally influenced theoritical object that every individual posses. The ego seperates us into individuals and creates the illusion that we are not all one, when infact we are one. The ego is what casues a judgemental view towards others. The ego starts fights. The ego must be killed once a month to keep the human population in check.

PEACE & LOVE

 

[Lion]

Another question.. can ego be changed?

 

[Guest]

1

 

[buffachino]

So, what is your definition of the Ego?

Ego is just that; definition.

 

[Spencer]

Another question.. can ego be changed?

I don't see how that couldn't be possible. Our egos change as our lives pass, things, places, people, even ideas about yourself or aspirations come and go all the time little by little. A tramatic experience would make this change much faster for the good or bad.

 

[IJesusChrist]

There is a hypothesis that every atom in your body has been changed or replaced from when you are born to the day you die. In that sense, you have nothing from your childhood except memories and information... Why wouldn't the ego be able to change.

Beyond that, neural plasticity is a very important idea in realizing who you are, and what you can be.

 

[Spencer]

There is a hypothesis that every atom in your body has been changed or replaced from when you are born to the day you die. In that sense, you have nothing from your childhood except memories and information... Why wouldn't the ego be able to change.

Beyond that, neural plasticity is a very important idea in realizing who you are, and what you can be.

It's a decent idea. I mean... brain cells though, you only have so many and they don't leave you until they (or you) die. Why would a healthy atom strain inside a healthy braincell ever be replaced? I'm not sure I can fully abide to it though I see how it makes sense.

and oh yes. I was thinking about this thread earlier and I've come to the conclusion that it HAS to change. Your ever growing/expanding/collapsing ego is a huge part of the human condition. Disprove me.

 

[waygie]

i think talking about ego is confusing. people use it multidimensionally. some are speaking of the id, ego, super ego. some are of the ego vs self.

what is ego death? it's half the answer. anyone who thinks it's the goal (buddhist type people) is wrong. people put too much value on valueless things, yes. but a person with ego death puts TOO LITTLE value on material things.
there shouldn't be any talk of "self" that would imply variability. they do this simply because it feels right (and the fact that it's a society that most have been generally rejected by plays a factor) there is only 1 perfect, and there are varying levels of productivity for everything. and a lot of times productivity wont feel "right". because "morality" has nothing to do with.

if there is an afterlife or reincarnation a person would ego death wouldn't even be conscious. they would be dissolved into the universe. what do you think a productive hedonist would be?

thesis-objectivity
antithesis-universal reality
synthesis=objective reality

 

[waygie]

There's many people that deal with it in, my prespective, a wrong way (doesn't mean I deal with it right

the popular girl at school puts too much value on material things. but she's still popular and general succeeds socially. stupidity can sometimes be more productive than intelligence. symbolically it's as if smart people ate from the tree of knowledge and gained self consciousness from it (like adam and eve). (i've been meaning to read the bible to see the different ways lucifer changes people. the bible didn't try to hide the fact that god seeks to inhibit our growth and yet people still follow him, i think they did it intentionally to test the stupidity of people. and i've only read to where god splits up the languages for fear that humanity would become too powerful)

and you probably think your perspective is wrong because you know you see the world subjectively rather than objectively

 

[waygie]

There is a hypothesis that every atom in your body has been changed or replaced from when you are born to the day you die. In that sense, you have nothing from your childhood except memories and information... Why wouldn't the ego be able to change.

Beyond that, neural plasticity is a very important idea in realizing who you are, and what you can be.

you can definitely change your ego. you are different than you were when you were 7 aren't you? (though studies show that people have the same when it comes to general things like introvert vs extrovert) change is inevitable so you need to *realize* that and realize that means it's a subconscious (and therefor imperfect) action. try to do it consciously

watch imaginarium of doctor parnassus. when heath ledger's "face changes" it means his ego changed. it has a lot of meaning to it which makes me think they always planned to have multiple actors play his character(he died during filming)
try to see how he changes. it's a step by step process, he changed according to how he needed to change on each level of growth

 

[IJesusChrist]

actually heath ledgers face changed because he died during the making of the movie. They wanted to do a very good tribute to him so they brought some of his actor friends in...

Actually now that you mention it, maybe the changing faces did coincide with a change in personality, or goal. You can't change your ego in that way - that is just changing what you believe is right and wrong.

Ego is how you identify yourself with your surroundings. If they are seperate, the same, the same but seperate...

 

[waygie]

actually heath ledgers face changed because he died during the making of the movie. They wanted to do a very good tribute to him so they brought some of his actor friends in...

Actually now that you mention it, maybe the changing faces did coincide with a change in personality, or goal. You can't change your ego in that way - that is just changing what you believe is right and wrong.

Ego is how you identify yourself with your surroundings. If they are seperate, the same, the same but seperate...

thats the weird thing. the fact that his face changed went so well with the movie. "he has at least 2 other faces"(the boy said it) that is symbolic. like a "two faced" person

and it was a progressional change. in that movie ledger's character was becoming a god. neither parnassus nor the devil guy got that one lady's soul, ledger did. in stead of letting her decide for herself he took on the "face" he needed to to get it done. it was the woman's epitomy of lust (she said "i always knew you'd look like this") to convinced her to take his path. notice how the devil said "shit" if he was the one getting the soul he wouldve been happy (and the devil's path was the motel) and it obviously wasnt parnassus' path

the devil did evil just to do evil. parnaussus did good to do good. tony liar didnt care about either, he just cared about himself

 

[ophiuchus]

what is ego? all of your ego's are your personal tweaked prisms that bend all the light that encounters you. or rather, the ego is the light that comes out of the prism. ego is "grasping-ness"